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LIBRARY OF CONGRESS. 



Chap. — -"- Copyright No. 

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UNITED STATES OF AMERICA. 






RELVISEID EIDITION 



GUIDE 



YUKON GOLD FIELDS 



WHERE THEY ARE AND HOW TO REACH THEM 



B V V. WILSON 



WITH MAP AND ILLUSTRATIONS 



SEATTLE 
The Calvert Company 

1S97 



i(UH» 



Copyright, 1895, bv V. Wilson. 



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CONTENTS. 



PAGE 

Where and What to Buy for an Outfit 17 

List of Provisions 18 

The Start " 20 

Lake Lindeman 20 

Whip-sawing 21 

Lake Bennett 22 

Tagish Lake 22 

Caribou Crossing 23 

Windy Arm 23 

Tagish House 24 

Lake Marsh 25 

Martins' Nests 25 

Salmon 25 

Grand Canyon 26 

White Horse Rapids 28 

Proposed Tramway Route 29 

Tahkeena River 30 

Lake Labarge 30 

Hootalinqua River 31 

Big Salmon River 31 

Little Salmon River 32 

Five Fingers 32 

Rink Rapids 33 

Old Fort Selkirk 33 

White River 34 

Volcanic Ash Deposits 35 

Stewart River 35 

Sixty Mile Creek 36 

Indian Creek 36 

Klondyke River 36 

Forty Mile Creek 37 

Miller Creek 38 

Freighting 38 

Glacier Creek 39 

Prospecting and Mining 39 

Bedrock Creek 40 

Bald Hills 40 

Forty Mile Post 41 

Dogs 42 

Fort Cudahy 43 

Coal Creek 43 

Circle City 44 



CONTENTS 

Birch Creek 45 

Preacher Creek 46 

Yukon Flats 46 

Fossils 47 

Lower Ramparts 48 

Muklukyeto City 48 

Koyukuk River , 49 

Lower River Natives 49 

St. Michael's Island 50 

Navigation on the Yukon 51 

Taku Route 52 

White Pass 52 

Chilkoot Pass 53 

Chilkat Pass 53 

Possible Railroad Route 54 

Resources 54 

Copper 54 

Iron and Coal 55 

Platinum 55 

■ Game 55 

Moose 55 

Caribou 55 

Barren Land Caribou 56 

Arctic Reindeer 56 

Bear 57 

Mountain Goat 1 57 

Mountain Sheep 58 

Lynx 58 

Wolves 58 

Wolverine 58 

Fish 59 

Discovery of Gold in the Yukon Basin 59 

Source of the Yukon 61 

Climate 62 

Winter Clothes 62 

New Discovery at Cook Inlet 63 

The Yukon River 64 

Indians Along the Yukon 65 

Purchase of Alaska 67 

Area and Extent 68 

Juneau 68 

Douglass Island 70 

Dawson City 7° 

Gold Dust 70 

Sale on Bedrock 71 

Miners' Laws 7 1 

Mining Regulations of the Yukon 73 

Nature and Size of Claims 73 



CONTENTS 

Affidavit of Application— Form H 77 

" 1 77 

" " " " J 78 

Ogilvie's Reports— Extracts of 79 

Latest Route " 83 

White Pass opened up 83 

Chilkoot' Route , 84 

Stickeen Route 85 

Other Routes 85 



LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. 

FACING PAGE 

Dawson City i 

Portage Head of Lake Bennett 3 

Midnight at Lake Bennett 8 

Boat Building 18 

Camp Life 18 

Whip-sawing 18 

Map 20 

Lake Labarge 24 

Lake Lindeman 24 

Wrecked at Windy Arm 24 

Looking Down Grand Canyon 26 

White Horse Rapids 28 

Shooting Grand Canyon 28 

Head of White Horse Rapids 28 

Five Finger Rapids of the Yukon 32 

Sixty Mile Post 36 

Towing a Boat Through Forty Mile Creek Canyon 38 

Forty Mile Post 42 

First Supplies at Circle City 44 

Fort Cudahy 46 

Steamer P. B. Weare 50 

Frank Cromier's Claim, Miller Creek 52 

Steamer Arctic 56 

Group of Miners, Forty Mile Creek 60 

Group of Miners, Ruby Sands Mine 62 

Glacier, Head of Litauya Bay at the Right ... 64 

Schooner Sea Gull, and Fairweather Alps in Distance 68 

City of Juneau 70 



TABLE OF DISTANCES. 



The following: distances from Juneau are taken from Ogilvie's survey as 
far as it has been made; the others are according to the best authorities to 
be found. 

MILES 

Haines Mission , 80 

Taij-a 100 

Head of Canoe Navigation , Taiya River 106 

Summit Chilkoot Pass "4^ 

Head of Lake Lindeman I23>< 

Foot of Lake Lindeman 127^ 

Head of Lake Bennett 128X 

Foot of Lake Bennett I53^ 

Caribou Crossing 156 >^ 

Foot of Tagish Lake I73X 

Head of Lake Marsh . 178X 

Foot of Lake Marsh 197X 

Head of Canyon 223 

Foot of Canyon 223)^ 

Head of White Horse Rapids 225^ 

Tahkeena River 240 

Head of Lake Labarge 252 

Foot of Lake Labarge 284 

Hootalinqua River 316 

Big Salmon River 349 

Little Salmon River 385^ 

Five Finger Rapids 444 

Rink Rapids 450 

Pelly River 503K 

White River 599)4 

Stewart River . 609 

Sixty Mile Post ' 629 

Fort Reliance 682}4 

Forty INIile Post 728 

Fprt Cudahy 72834: 

Moose Creek on Forty Mile River 754 

Head of Miller Creek 788 



PREFACE. 

The much felt want of definite information concerning the Yu- 
kon gold fields and how to reach them, and the almost total ab- 
sence of anything like a good guide book to that region, at a time 
when the eyes of nearly the entire mining world are turned in that 
direction, have prompted the author to place before the public 
the many facts he has learned by personal observation and dili- 
gent inquiry of those who have spent many years in that region. 
No attempt has been made to put forth a literary production. A 
statement of facts in simple language has been followed. It has 
been left to some tourist of the future to give to the public a vol- 
ume embellished with rhetorical figure and lofty description. 
This volume is intended for a hand-book to be used by everyone — 
tourist, prospector and miner — for ready reference, telling how^ to 
get into the Yukon basin, how to get out of it, and what has been 
found there. 

It is not only the purpose of these pages to "give such informa- 
tion as will prove of benefit to those who may undertake the trip, 
but also to discourage those unfit to encounter the hardships, and 
correctly to inform those who have been led to believe that nug- 
gets could be gathered from the beds of streams like pebbles. 

The illustrations are from photographs, and are the only ones 
ever saccessfull}^ taken of the upper river and mines, while the 
map is drawn from personal observ^ation and information given by 
miners. 

In concluding these prefatory remarks I wush to acknowledge 
with gratitude my indebtedness to Billy Lloyd, Frank Knight, 
Frank Densmore, Mr. Cornell and others, as well as to Pither, an 
Indian, who has traveled extensivel}' through the Yukon basin. 

V. W. 



MEMOIR. 



Soon after the notes from which this work was compiled were 
handed to the publisher, the author was taken seriously ill, and 
just at the hour the book comes from the press there comes also 
the sad new^s of the author's death. "Strange, indeed,'" one 



PREFACE 

would say, " that a man of such a strong physique, possessed of 
an iron will, should give way to the ravages of fever." But not 
so strange to one who knew the suffering and hardships encoun- 
tered and endured by Mr. Wilson during his voyage of explora- 
tion the past year in Alaska.. I met him on the morning of June 
15th at the head waters of the Yukon river, and was with him 
during the greater part of the four thousand mile journey. While 
scarcely thirty years of age, he was a natural explorer, and always 
seemed as much at home with the Indians among rocky fastnesses 
of the North as he would be in the midst of the aesthetic sur- 
roundings of his father's home in Maine. He could transform 
hardships into pleasures; in the presence of danger, always calm 
and deliberate, a keen observer, joyful spirited, never uttering a 
murmur about the heavy pack upon his back while making long 
journej's across the mountains, but would revel in the beauty and 
grandeur of his surroundings. He was a man of fine abilities, a 
good conversationalist with pleasing manner, a strong personalit}', 
very kind and genial under all circumstances, making friends 
wherever he went. 

His life has been sacrificed to gain and give to the world the 
valuable information contained in the following pages, and in this 
sense it has been sacrificed for others. Having travelled the same 
route as the author, I can confidently say that this guide will 
prove invaluable to anyone going to Alaska, and in the memory 
of those who follow its directions will be erected an enduring 
monument to him who died in the hope of a life everlasting be- 
yond the confines of mortality. 

J. O. Hestwood. 

Seattle, January 5, i8q5. 



NTRODUCTORY. 



The rush to the Yukon last spring saw many prospectors in the 
field with the most promising results. Many new creeks were 
discovered of great extent and richness, and all the old mines 
yielded better results than ever before. 

No creek in the entire basin which was prospected with any 
degree of precision failed to show at least a color. 

The estimated amount of gold taken out of the country last 
year has been placed as high as one million dollars, and while this 
is highly improbable, the many who have returned with amounts 
varying from five to thirty-five thousand dollars prove beyond a 
doubt that the country is one of great richness. 

With these facts fresh before the public, at a time when the 
brawn and muscle of our great nation is almost at a standstill, it 
may reasonably be expected that many will turn their attention in 
this direction, and it is therefore the purpose of these pages to 
give such information as will be of benefit to those who undertake 
the trip. 

*The Chilkoot pass is the only route used to any extent at 
present by the miners and is the shortest portage from salt water 
to the navigable waters of the Yukon. This route leads over the 
Chilkoot pass down the lakes to Lewis river, thence down the Yu- 
kon to the mines at different points on that river. 

The trip is one of difficulties which will tax the endurance and 
nerve of the most hardy, and only such men can reasonably expect 
to succeed, for only with the most incessant toil, such as packing 
provisions over pathless mountains, towing a heavy boat ao-ainst 
a five to an eight-mile current over battered boulders, diggino- in 
the bottomless frost, sleeping where night overtakes, fighting gnats 
and mosquitoes by the million, shooting seething canyons and 
rapids, and enduring for seven long months a relentless cold which 
never rises above zero and frequently falls to 80 below, any man 
physically endowed to overcome these obstacles, who will go there 
for a few years, can, by strict attention to business, make a o-Qod 
stake, with the possibilities of a fortune. 

The climate is one unequalled for health, the summer months 

* See later iuformatiou in regard to other passes. 



INTRODUCTORY 

are delightful, game is plenty in season, and the winters, while 
cold, are healthy and help to recuperate the lost vitality from the 
incessant toil of summer. , 

The next few years will see wagon roads and trails through the 
Coast range, steamers on the lakes and upper river, and the whole 
of the vast upper country will be made accessible to the miner. 
Then hundreds will flock there, and ten years will see a population 
of one hundred thousand people in the Yukon basin. 

Then its vast richness will become the by-word of the world, 
for it is a poor man's country — nature has stored her treasure in 
a safe of ice with a time-lock which only opens in the long sunny 
days of summer. 

Hydraulic mining is made impossible, owing to lack of water, 
for only the glacial drip of the hills is accessible in the gulches 
which carry the most gold. This will make its period of produc- 
tiveness much greater, while capital will find lucrative investments 
in the rich lodes of gold, iron, coal and copper, and in the bars of 
the rivers which have become no longer useful to the pan or cradle 
in the hands of the miner. All along the whole route, from the 
Coast range down to old Fort Yukon, the close observer can see 
vast treasures in the mountains — coal, marble and copper — only 
waiting for the country to develop to such an extent as to bring 
them within reach of the outside world. 

The country south of the Pelly river is quite well timbered. It 
is a good grazing country, all the hardy vegetables grow well, and 
even wheat ripens. 

It is a fine game and fish country. Bear of several varieties, 
moose, caribou, wolves and many fur-bearing animals abound. It 
is doubtless the greatest country in the world for the .silver and 
the black fox. The rivers and lakes are teeming with many 
varieties of fish, while grouse and rabbits are numerous along the 
shore. Water foul of many kinds are plentiful and their long so- 
iourning iu these inland waters gives to their flesh a flavor which, 
although high and gamey, never acquires that repulsive fishy 
taste so universal to the fowls of this coast. 

When once this country is made accessible from the Sound 
points by proper transportation facilities it can be reached in ten 
davs Then it will become one of the greatest tourist countries of 
the world, for where is grander scenery, a more beautiful climate, or 
a more favored .spot than is this lake country during three months 



INTRODUCTORY 

in summer? The shores are bordered by strips of green meadow, 
bedecked with wild roses and an endless varietj' of flowers of the 
most delicate tints, while terraced, open and timbered slopes 
stretch away to high mountains, which in turn are backed by 
snow-capped peaks. 

During the whole summer scarcely any rain falls, with the ex- 
ception of an occasional thunder-shower; the sun is seldom lost 
sight of except for a brief period at night. 

Within three years it will be possible to leave Seattle in spring, 
work in the mines all summer and return in the fall. Then the 
importance of these vast gold fields will come to be realized, and 
in the near future the word Yukon will associate itself so closely 
with that of gold, that its mere mention will convey impressions 
of an Eldorado, rivaling that of fable. 



THE GUIDE BOOK 



THE GOLI)-FIELI»« OF THE YUKON 



WHERE AND WHAT TO BUY FOR AN OUTFIT. 



In deciding to make the trip, the greatest considerations are how 
long it is necessary to stay, how much money is needed and the 
results to be attained. The answer to the last question, here as 
in all other countries, depends entirely on the man. 

The country is of such extent and richness that the possibilities 
are unlimited, and a good rustler cannot fail to make a good 
round sum if he will stay at least three years. Little can be 
accomplished in less time than that, unless one is indeed lucky. 

A good part of the first season will be consumed in reaching 
the mines ; then, if a claim is located, only the preliminary work 
can be done. The second 5'ear it can be well opened up and in 
all probability some money made. The third year usually gives 
the promised results. I would advise no man to start with less 
than four hundred dollars, as the expense of reaching the mines 
is considerable and the companies doing business there refuse 
absolutely to give credit, as they can sell all their goods for ready 
cash. Some men who wanted to remain were obliged to leave 
the country last year on that account. 

The companies doing business there have in the past helped 
such men out of the countrj-, but in the future, owing to this 



18 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 



fact becoming generally known, they will refuse to give an}' 
assistance whatever. This decision, I understand, they will ad- 
vertise extensively this coming spring. 

Having decided to make the trip the outfit needed for the long 
journey down the river to the mines' is of the greatest considera- 
tion. The actual necessities for the trip are given in a list below. 
The supply of clothes should be governed by one's needs, taste 
and purse. It is also desirable to take along a small, well-filled 
medicine chest. 

The outfit proper can be bought to better advantage in Seattle 
than elsewhere, for the large outfitting establishments there have 
learned from long experience what is most needed and their prices 
will compare favorably with prices on the Pacific Coast. One may 
be sure of getting just vv^hat is needed without any extra weight, 
which is of the greatest importance, as many hard portages are to 
be encountered on the trip. 



LIST OP PROVISIONS FOR ONE MAN ONE MONTH: 



Twenty pounds of flour with 

baking powder 
12 pounds of bacon 
6 pounds of beans 
5 pounds of dried fruit 

3 pounds of dessicated vegetables 

4 pounds of butter 

5 pounds of sugar 

4 cans of milk 

1 pound of tea 

3 pounds of coffee 

2 pounds of salt 

5 pounds of corn meal 
Pepper 

Matches 

Mustard 

Cooking utensils and dishes 

I frying pan 

1 water kettle 
Tent 
Yukon stove 

2 pair good blankets 
I rubber blanket 



1 bean pot 

2 plates 

I drinking cup 

I tea pot 

I knife and fork 

I large and i small cooking pan 

TOOLS FOR BOAT BUILDING. 
I jack plane 
I whip saw 
I hand saw 
I rip saw 
I draw knife 
I ax 

I hatchet 
I pocket rule 
6 pounds of assorted nails 

3 pounds of oakum 
5 pounds of pitch 
50 feet of 5^ rope 
Mosquito netting 

1 pair crag-proof hip boots 

Snow-glasses 

Medicines 



The above is the list of provisions generally taken by miners, 
and is sufficient for one man for one month. The length of the trip, 




I w y 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 19 

will be regulated by the season of starting and the amount neces- 
sary lor the entire trip easily ascertained. 

That is, if parties desire to do their own transporting over the 
divide they should start not later than the first of April — better 
by the middle of March — then they can sleigh their outfit over 
the summit and down the lakes to where suitable boat timber can 
be found. If the start is made by the middle of March, the whole 
distance of the lakes can be accomplished by sleigh, a boat built 
and the start made down the river as soon as it breaks up, which 
is much earlier than on the lakes. By doing this the mines may 
be reached four weeks earlier than by building the boat at the 
head of the lakes and waiting for the ice to leave. 

The trip down the lakes b}^ sleigh is usually exciting; a large 
sail is fixed to the sleigh and long distances are made in a single 
day over the hard snow and ice. If the start is made later than 
the last of April it is customary to hire the packing done bj^ the 
Indians, who pack to Lake Lindeman, a distance of twenty- four 
miles, for fourteen dollars per hundred. There is no timber on 
the lake suitable for boat building, and a raft will have to be made 
to take the outfit to where better timber can be found. 

A good rifle of large calibre should be taken along, as large 
game is plenty. Also a trout line for grayling, which can be 
caught with a small black fly at the mouth of small streams and 
at the foot of rapids all along below the lakes. A good pair of 
snow glasses should not be overlooked, as attacks of snow blind- 
ness are only thus prevented in crossing the summit, and nothing 
proves more painful. In several cases it has actually driven 
miners insane, and often delays those not thus provided for days 
and even weeks. E.' Valentine, of Juneau, keeps a special glass, 
at a small cost, adapted to the trip. It is customary to take min- 
ing tools from Juneau for prospecting along the trip or for any 
stop that might be made on the way down the river. 

One man should not attempt to make the trip alone, and where 
four or five go in one party one tent, stove and set of tools will do 
for all, thus making the outfit of each lighter and also lessening 
the cost. One of each party should have some knowledge of boat 
building; the boats mostly in use are the long, double-end bateau, 
but for a party of five or six a scow of good depth will be found 
convenient and roomy, will run bad water and is easily built. 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 



THE START. 



OVER THE SUMMIT AND DOWN LAKE LINDEMAN. 

At *Tai5'a the actual journey begins. If the trip is made by 
sleighs the parties usually do their own work, but if the snow and 
ice have left the canyon then the outfit will have to be packed to 
Lake Lindeman. Indian packers can be found without much 
difficulty to pack for the regulation price, fourteen dollars per 
hundred pounds, the distance being about twenty-four miles. 
Canoes can be used for some six miles up the Taiya river to the 
canyon where the trail leads up the rugged sides along a timbered 
shelf overlooking the canyon until Sheep Camp is reached; this is 
practically the timber line, and from here to the summit the trail 
leads up a narrow and precipitous defile. The summit is fifteen 
miles distant and thirty-five hundred feet above tide water. 

Man}' glaciers are passed in the fifteen miles. After leaving 
the summit there is a sheer descent of five hundred feet to the bed 
of Crater lake. This lake retains snow and ice all the year and 
undoubtedly occupies an extinct crater. The water has cut a 
small canyon down the mountain side, which should be followed 
to Lake Lindeman. 

LAKE LINDEMAN. 



THE FIRST NAVIGABLE WATERS RUNNING INTO THE YUKON. 

Around the lake the timber is nearly all burned off", there being 
none suitable for boat building. Here a raft should be made, with 
a deck of small poles some foot or more above the body, thus pre- 
venting the waves from wetting the outfit, which should be pro- 
tected by water-tight sacks, either of oilskin or canvas. The dried 
timber makes good material for rafts, but as it is small a great 
deal will necessarily have to be used. Lake Lindeman occupies the 
terminus of the same valley occupied by Lake Bennett, and is sepa- 
rated from the latter by a short portage of three-fourths of a mile, 
the fall in this distance being about twenty feet. The stream con- 
necting the two is crooked and very rocky, making it highly un- 
safe for a boat. The landing at Lindeman is on the right and 
there is a good Indian trail over the sandy soil. 

* Spelled Dyea by the white inhabitants. See later information in regard to other passes. 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 21 

The formation of the Lake Lindeman country is granite, like that 
of the Coast range; the mountains are high and precipitous on all 
sides, forming a scene of wildness and grandeur unequalled. Two 
small streams enter Lindeman at the head, one occupying the 
canyon followed by the trail from Crater lake, the other run- 
ning from the west and connecting two small lakes with Linde- 
man. 

The lower end of this lake is shallow and filled with boulders, 
the portage being only a pile of moraine caused by glacial action 
through which the outlet passes. Lake Liudeman is about six 
miles long with an average width of one mile, and opens up 
from May 15th to June loth. After reaching Lake Bennett the 
journey may be continued by raft, or by going up a small river, 
which enters the head of the lake from the west, a distance of 
one mile, where good boat timber may be found. This river comes 
tearing down the mountain side, forming a succession of rapids 
and bringing material that has shoaled the head of Lake Bennett 
for some distance. 

WHIP SAWING. 

''■ If it is decided to build the boat at that point the timber will 
have to be packed from where it is sawed to navigable water. 
The only timber here used in the construction of boats is spruce 
or Norway pine. After locating the timber the first thing nec- 
essary is the construction of a saw-pit. This is done by finding 
trees so arranged as to support the cross pieces which are notched 
to fit the stump that has been cut the proper distance from the 
ground. If four trees cannot be found to act as supports, the 
saw-pit may be built by cutting small trees into short pieces and 
building up to the proper height. Often a good axman will be 
able to fell the tree to be sawed into the pit, thus saving the time 
and trouble of skidding up and rolling the log in place, which 
sometimes proves a very difficult task. The greatest care should 
always be taken that the cross pieces are firmly in place and not 
liable to slip, or accidents may occur. An accompanying cut will 
give some idea of the manner in which the pit should be built, 
showing the log blocked in place so as to rest firmly on the cross 
pieces. 

* Lumber is now shipped from Seattle and taken over the summit bj' pack horses. 



22 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

It should first be slabbed after ascertaining how wide a board it 
will make. The ends are squared and a plumb line made down 
the center of each end, then half the width of the board to be 
sawed will be laid off each side of this center line and a line struck 
from end to end on top. the log turned over and lined on the un- 
der side. This will bring the lumber sawed as nearl}' out of the 
center as possible. Then turn it back in place and the top line 
will be found directlj- above the bottom one. After the slabs are 
taken off and the log turned so the slabbed side will rest on the 
cross pieces, make a plumb-line again at right angles with the 
slab, then mark off as many boards each side of this line as the 
log will make and line them top and bottom. The ends may be 
all sawed up to the cro.ss pieces and the log moved one w^ay or the 
other until the scarf will admit the saw. 

After the lumber is sawed it will probably need some dressing. 
The slabs wall answer for oars and timbers for the boat, which 
will be built according to the needs of the part3\ 



LAKE BENNETT AND TAGISH EAKE. 



Lake Bennett has an average breadth of one mile with an ex- 
treme breadth of five, and is twenty-six miles long. In running 
this lake on raft or in boat much care should be taken, as strong 
winds are sure to be encountered. These are noticed most at the 
upper end of the lake, which occupies virtually a large canyon. 
The winds are always in the south and are caused by the hot air 
of the inland valleys, which in turn is supplemented b}'^ the 
cooler air of the coast, rushing inland over the low passes and 
down the lakes. High mountains rise abruptly on either side, 
making it exceedingly difficult to find a landing for some miles 
down the lake. 

Lake Bennett thus- forms a funnel for the Chilkoot pass, while 
Windy Arm is continually swept by the currents of the White 
pass. These winds die out in the latter part of the night and 
early morning, but as the sun's warm rays heat the inland val- 
leys their force increases until they reach the dignity of a high 
gale, which sometimes delays the boatmen for days. Few have 
ever crossed the Windy Arm without having good cause to re- 
member it. 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 23 

A large arm comes into Bennett from the west which Schwatka 
called Wheeton river. Lake Bennett is surrounded by lofty 
mountains, some reaching a height of eight thousand feet. 

About five miles down the lake the formation changes from the 
Coast range granite to that of limestone, the change forming a 
definite line which crosses the lake obliquely and can be followed 
for miles. The formation for miles north of this is carboniferous 
with croppings of coal and iron. Volcanic material is found here 
as well as along the entire length of the route. The lower end of 
Bennett broadens out into a beautiful valley which stretches away 
to the north. It proved a great disappointment when we learned 
that our course turned abruptly around the mountain to the east 
instead of following this inviting looking country, which we had 
felt sure was the course of the river. 

Low-terraced, grassy and open-timbered slopes here skirt the 
lakes and foothills of the higher mountains, as well as all the 
lakes below\ The climate is quite dry, and little rain falls except 
an occasional thunder shower. The sun is warm and the clouds 
fleecy, but the snow-capped peaks alwa5^s give the air those cool, 
bracing propensities which prove so disastrous to the bacon and 
beans. 



CARIBOU CROSSING. 

The connecting waters between Lake Bennett and Tagish lake 
constitute w^hat is called Caribou crossing. Here there is a slight 
current, while the channel is very crooked and shallow. This is 
one of the crossings used by the bands of barren-land caribou in 
their migration south in the fall and return in the spring. 



WINDY ARM. 

Two miles from Caribou crossing the Windy Arm enters Tagish 
lake. There are three islands at its mouth, while beyond are high 
mountains of limestone and marble. The marble is of a fine 
quality and curiously marked with gray and black, which would 
undoubtedly give a beautiful effect when polished. Beyond these 
cliffs a dome-shaped mountain can be seen standing out alone and 



24 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

of very defined form; it appears to be of massive limestone. On 
the west the countr}^ becomes better timbered, and a few miles 
further the lake arm comes in from the southeast. This appears 
to be the main lake, it being much the larger, occupying a large, 
broad valley as far as the eye can reach. 

I was informed by an Indian that it runs back three days' jour- 
ney, or forty miles, also that other lakes lie beyond, and that the 
connections have no currents; thus it becomes impossible to tell 
the extent of navigable waters of this wonderful lake system, they 
not having been explored. These lakes lie at an elevation of about 
twenty-two hundred feet above sea level and represent hundreds 
of miles of navigable waters surrounded by a good grazing country, 
rich in minerals and good timber, while all the hardy vegetables 
grow well. A large fish of symmetrical lines is found here that 
rises readily to a troll and has every appearance of the landlocked 
salmon. It is of salmon color, but turns white as soon as placed 
on the fire and is almost tasteless when cooked. 

Tagish lake is connected with Lake Marsh b}* a wide reach of 
river with a sluggish current. The banks are bordered by ter- 
raced and open wooded slopes and the valley is broad, especially 
to the west. 

The timber here is mostly Cottonwood and white spruce. This 
piece of river is five miles long and in some places very shallow, 
like the lower end of Tagish lake. The water in this lake is 
clear and covers the hard, gravelly bottom to a depth of four or 
five feet for nearly its entire lower end, which is three miles wide 
and five miles long. 

TAGISH HOUSE. 

On this piece of river is located the famous Tagish house, where 
councils of war and the yearly festivals are held. These build- 
ings are the only permanent buildings seen in all the country 
above Pelly river. 

It was here war was declared years ago on the Coast Indians, 
which resulted so disastrously to the Sticks. The.se houses are 
kept up by annual renovation. Here also is one of their burying 
grounds and crematories. 



GUIDR TO THE YUKON 25 



LAKE MARvSH. 



Lake Marsh is tvvent}- miles in length, with an average width 
of more than two miles. It occupies a notably broad valley, while 
to the east a high and well defined range of mountains stands out 
prominently. To the west the country is rolling, except in the 
vicinity of the lake, which is bordered by meadows. Many wild 
fowl w^ere seen here. Away to the west a broken range of moun- 
tains reaches a greater height than those to the east. Here we 
saw the first snow since the high peaks about Bennett disappeared 
from view. 

At the lower end of the lake a large island stands just above the 
outlet and the McClintock river enters here, draining a broad 
valley to the east. This river cannot be of any considerable size 
as the Hootalinqua is at no great distance. 

Here huge piles of driftwood, the first of any great size, are 
encountered. The formations here are of volcanic materials, while 
some have a decided sandstone appearance, and farther up the 
lake are clearly defined exposures of a slaty formation, cut by 
many quartz veins. The river from here to the canyon has about 
a three mile current, and occupies a valley of some extent. The 
banks are low and even marshy in many places, bordered with 
much good timber, with sloughs filled with duck and muskrat, not 
to mention the swarms of mosquitoes. 

CUT BANKS AND MARTINS' NESTS. 

A few miles further we come to the first high cut banks 
which become so general farther down. These are completely 
honey-combed by martin, that come all this great distance to 
rear their young. Mile after mile of these banks, furnishing 
homes for millions of these playful little birds, is passed. 

SALMON. 

This stretch of the river is the limit of the salmon's travels, 
few ever reaching Lake Marsh. The mighty waters of the 
canyon sap the remaining strength after their long journey and 
it seems strange how this beautiful fish must labor for months 



26 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

against the current, only to die after depositing their spawn. The 
sahnon here are the finest in the world and will average forty 
pounds each. They run in pairs, the male keeping close to the 
female, and when the spawn has become ripe enough to be 
squeezed out by some friendly rock, he is always on hand to 
cover the whole with a milky substance essential to insure the 
arrival of the hundreds of little lives which find their way to the 
mother sea only to return as did their progenitors and furnish 
food for bruin, tor after spawning they soon die. 

The bear all come down from their homes in the mountains to 
dine and fatten on this fish, a part of the head being their favorite 
morsel. In the month of August dozens of bear can be seen any 
day along the river. 

Many smooth and grassy hills border the river, and a few miles 
above the canyon Silver creek enters among a confusion of dome- 
like, sandy hills. The current becomes stronger and the roar of 
many riffies keeps the canyon constantly in mind. This will be 
known, however, by a friendly sign on the right hand side reading: 
"Danger, Stop." The right side should be followed closely here 
and as soon as the sign is passed a friendl}' eddy can be easily 
made just at the entrance of the grand canyon. 

GRAND CANYON AND WHITE HORSE RAPIDS. 

On the right and at the entrance to the canyon there is a good 
skidway used by the miners for transporting their boats. 

The canyon proper is five-eighths of a mile long, but the distance 
to portage is nearer one mile, while that run by the boats is three 
fourths of a mile. The canyon is cut through a horizontal basalt 
bed and the walls range in height from fifty to one hundred and 
twenty feet, and are worn into all kinds of fantastic shapes. The 
canyon has an average width of about one hundred feet and the 
force of the water of this might)^ river, crowded and piled up in 
this small space, can hardly be realized. The river above has an 
average width of 250 yards and the water of the canyon must 
necessarily be deep. I heard of a huge rock just within its en- 
trance, but cotild see no signs of it either from the walls or from 
the boat as I passed through. I believe there is little danger in 
shooting this canyon with a good boat, unless the steersman should 
lose his head. The water is crowded up to a crest in the center 



GUIDK TO THE YUKON 27 

fully four feet higher thau at the walls, aud little difficulty will be 
found in keeping the boat on this crest if it is kept under control. 
But once over the crest there is danger of striknig the wall, and 
little would be left of boat or cargo in this case. My boat made 
the distance of three-quarters of a mile in two minutes and twenty 
seconds, and the experience is surely an exciting one and not to 
be forgotten. 

My boat was strongly built of five-eighth boards, twenty-two 
feet long and well braced with one and three-quarter inch timbers 
nailed and clinched with wire nails. It carried about nine hun- 
dred pounds of outfit besides ourselves. We removed the camera, 
plates, a bag of cooked provisions and our guns, stored the rest 
close and lashed everything tight, covering all with a tarpaulin, 
thus preventing its filling as it stuck its nose through the crest of 
the heavy combers. When we emerged from the dark walls and 
entered the eddy on the right at the foot, our boat was leaking 
badly and nearly every nail was started; this was caused mostly 
from being overloaded, which necessarily made the strain greater. 
Perhaps an attempted description of this short journey will not be 
out of place, and while it may satisfy those who never make it, 
its feebleness will be apparent to those fortunate enough to ex- 
perience the satisfaction of gazing on this hell of seething waters 
after successfully shooting through the dark abyss. 

We arranged everything satisfactorily in the boat, tried the steer- 
ing sweep's strength, discarded all possible clothing even to our 
heavy boots, took our respective places and pulled far out into the 
eddy. My partner strained every muscle at the oars to give steer- 
age way that we might enter straight. The ever increasing cur- 
rent caught us and our boat seemed fairly to shoot into the dark 
shadows of those grotesque and weird walls until it was caught 
by the recoil of the first great breaker; here it almost stopped and 
fairly trembled as if in fear to proceed, but only for a moment, 
then dashed on to its crest and with one mighty bound tried to 
make the next high place, but it was too heavily loaded and fell 
far short, shooting through instead, drenching us most thoroughly. 
As it raised up the water poured off of the canvas cover and we 
were rushing on to the next with clouds of spray dashing in blind- 
ing sheets against our faces. In the first stretch this was repeated 
several times until we reached the basin about halfway through, 
which forms an eddy and is comparatively smooth. Here we 



28 GUIDB: to the YUKON 

began to breathe again, having held our breath for just one minute 
and eight seconds, and prepared for the second and home stretch. 
This proved to be the Avorst, as at the last pitch the canyon makes 
a turn and the force of the water as it strikes the wall and turns 
back is irresistible; but it is all over so quickl}' there is no time 
to turn pale or even to remember just how things were managed. 
I had my camera on the walls overlooking the canyon and focused 
it on a high comber, and Mr. Bramer was kind enough to work 
the pneumatic shutter, giving instantaneous exposure. 

The contrast between those foaming waters and the dark walls 
of the canj'on rendered it a hard object to photograph, but the re- 
sult can be seen on the opposite page, which will convey some idea 
of the canyon as seen from the walls above. 

The distance of three-fourths of a mile was made in two min- 
utes and twenty seconds, which is the gait of a good trotting horse 
on a smooth track. Imagine a boat loaded with two men and 
nine hundred pounds dashing alongside of a light pneumatic 
sulky drawn by a good trotting horse, and some idea of the trip 
will be had. 



WHITE HORSE RAPIDS. 

The White Horse rapids are about two miles below the canyon, 
and being filled with rapids and sunken boulders this part of the 
trip .should be well looked out before starting. There is one short 
place where most of the miners portage. The skidway is on the 
east side and not more than one hundred yards long. By keep- 
ing the west bank, little trouble will be found running the whole 
distance to the head of White Horse, if the boat is under complete 
control. But if it is unweildy the portage is preferable. Just 
before reaching the White Horse there is a comparatively smooth 
stretch of river, giving an opportunity to land on the long point 
just above the great bend. 

The boat can be dropped from here down to the eddy, where 
everything will have to be portaged. The portage here is on the 
we.st side. The river is confined between low basalt walls, and the 
last pitch is .scarcely ninet> feet wide. Here the water presents a 
formidable spectacle, and is seldom run, yet the best boat with 
good boatmen will, I believe, come through all right. The boats 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 29 

can be lowered by long ropes down to the last pitch, where a short 
portage of a hundred feet will be made. From the entrance of 
the canyon to the foot of White Horse rapids is about three miles, 
which can never be made navigable for river steamers. 



PROPOSED TRAMWAY • ROUTE. 

There is to the east a long lev^el valley which runs to the head 
of White Horse rapids, where a tramway could be easily built 
and operated; while from the head to the foot of the White 
Horse a slightl}^ elevated shelf forms a natural roadbed. This 
occupies the even flow of the volcanic bed, and only where the 
river makes the turn at the head would any work be necessary for 
the entire length. Power for such a tramway could easily be 
procured from the falls. The lake boats could connect with this 
above the canyon, while the river boats could run up to its lower 
terminus. 

Here the country shows great evidence of the glacial period, 
and the low grassy-terraced hills of the east would furnish fine 
grazing, while to the west they are more abrupt, and further away 
are fine forests of spruce and pine. Many boats were lost in these 
three miles of river last spring; some were turned loose and went 
to pieces on the rocks, while others were swamped in lowering. 

An interesting story was told me of two Swedes who came down 
the river last spring and were carried into the canyon by accident. 
There were many miners at the portage at the time, and no sooner 
did the boat strike the rough water than the Swedes threw up 
their hands and crouched in the bottom of their boat. It was a 
good one and rode the waters well until the edd}' was reached, 
when, having no guiding hand, it shot into the eddy instead of 
passing on down the lower stretch. The current of this eddy is 
very strong and the walls are about 150 feet high. With all their 
efforts they could not induce the boat to leave the circle, and the}^ 
soon gave up the task and lay down in the boat perfectly resigned 
to their fate. They were entirely out of reach of any assistance 
from the banks, and after about six hours of this circling the boat 
left the eddy by one of those unaccountable freaks of such places, 
and they were soon safely landed below. 



30 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 



TAHKEENA RIVER. 



This river is a good sized stream. The current is not so swift 
as that of the Lewis river, which joins about fifteen miles below 
the White Horse rapids. It is probably little more than half as 
large as the Lewis river and is bordered by high hills, which to 
the westward reach the d'ignity of mountains, apparently of granite. 
The Tahkeena is said to drain a large lake to the west some 
seventy miles, and is the inland waterway used in connection with 
the Chilkat pass, which is made accessible by the west arm of 
Lynn canal. This pass, while low, is long and less used than 
formerly by the Indians, and never by the miners. This river has 
no rapids of any note, making it easy to ascend. 

LAKE LABARGE. 

Lake Labarge is about twelve miles below the Tahkeena river. 
These twelve miles of river, the most of the distance, run through 
a large valley, much of which is flat and low, scarcely higher than 
the lake to the east, terminating in the Sandstone range bordering 
the lake. The river has cut many channels through the bank of 
sand and clay, and some of these save miles by cutting across. 
Lake Labarge is about thirty-one miles long, with an average 
breadth of five miles, and in some places it is much wider. 
This lake gets very rough and is one of the windiest of the whole 
system. The formations about this lake are very marked and sin- 
gular—mostly of limestone to the east — and rise abruptly from the 
water in some places, while beyond these still higher mountains 
rise which separate the Hootalinqua from the waters running into 
the Lewis. There are many beautiful little lakes in these mount- 
ains some five or six hundred feet above the surface of Lake La- 
barge, which has an elevation of 2,100 feet. To the west the hills 
are wooded more or less. At the southwest end a small stream 
enters through a broad, level valley, while another enters from 
the west, near its northern end. The outlet here turns to the 
east and cuts through the hills instead of following the broad, low 
valley which we had supposed it would follow. The lake lies 
nearly north and south and seems to be very deep, especially along 
its eastern .shore. After leaving this, the last of the lakes, the 
current of the river soon increases to five and six miles per hour. 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 31 

The river has cut its way among the jumble of hills, leaving it 
very crooked, many times nearly doubling on itself. The bed is 
filled with boulders and would probably need some work to make 
it safe for river steamers. While boats could undoubtedly ascend 
it would be impossible to descend with any degree of safety while 
forced along by the strong current. The hills come down to the 
water's edge and in some places are well timbered. The cut clay 
banks are common from here on to the Pelly river. 

HO0TAI.INQUA RIVER. 

About twenty-eight miles from Lake Labarge the Hootalinqua 
river enters from the east and at its confluence with the Lewis 
seems quite as large. The current is much milder and therefore 
carries a smaller quantity of water. While this river is known to 
the miners as the Hootalinqua, Dawson calls it after its Indian 
name, "Teslintoo," Schvvatka called it "Newberry," and the 
original coast survey "Wasathan." This custom of name- 
changing has been carried on to such an extent that it becomes 
conflicting, and as the miners are the men who open up the coun- 
try they are the authority that should be followed. This river 
has never been explored to any great extent, but it is certain that 
it is fed by an enormous lake known as Teslin, and this in turn 
by many rivers of considerable size. This is undoubtedly a fact, 
as it drains a dry country lying beyond the snow and ice of the 
Coast range and its volume of water would indicate the extent of 
the country to be considerable. Much flour gold has been found 
along this river on all the bars, and only the lack of supplies pre- 
vents rich discoveries. This will undoubtedly be overcome in 
the near future, as Captain Healey told me he would establish a 
trading post there this coming season. The bars for miles below 
the Hootalinqua have furnished much gold, that of the Cassiar 
being far the richest. The river has a good five-mile current and 
is bordered by hills of considerable height. 

BIG SALMON RIVER. 

Thirty-one miles from the Hootalinqua the Big Salmon enters 
from the same side and is a large river. Little definite informa- 
tion could be obtained concerning this river, except that its bars 



32 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

carr}' some gold and that its source lies about two hundred miles 
to the south and east, and like all other rivers of the country flows 
from a number of lakes. It has been little prospected, but all 
who have prospected it report gold everywhere. This river, as 
its name would indicate, is a great salmon stream and manj'^ In- 
dians spend the summer months here preparing their winter 
salmon. The current is mild compared with the Lewis, and the 
water much clearer, as are all the waters flowing from the east, 
while those from the west show signs of glacial action and vol- 
canic deposits. Below the Big Salmon the hills are high and 
rounded, many wooded to the summits. Some bars have been 
worked here. 

LITTLE SALMON RIVER. 

.Thirty-five miles farther down, the Little Salmon river enters 
from the east from among high hills and does not show much val- 
ley. This river has never been prospected to any extent and little 
could be learned of it except as a fishing stream used by the In- 
dians. The river makes many long bends in this distance, fairly 
doubling on itself. From Little Salmon river to Five Finger rap- 
ids the distance by river is fifty-three miles while in a straight 
line it would scarcely exceed one-half of that distance. The 
course of the river is very irregular with scarcely any valley. 

George McCormack has a small trading post about fifteen miles 
above Five Fingers, and five and one- half miles farther up he is 
opening up a vein of coal which shows well a few feet from the 
surface. It is of a lignite character and burns well. 

The banks where cut by the river are of clay, gravel and vol- 
canic matter. Th'-.y are very high and are constant!}' sliding into 
the river. The current from here to the Five Fingers is about five 
miles per hour. The country is generally well wooded, birch 
being abundant. 

FIVE FINGERS. 

This rapid is short, but the drop caused by the five columns of 
rock, which partly obstruct the river's course, is considerable and 
would prove an obstruction to river steamers, although it would 
be pos.sible at a reasonable cost to blast out one of these columns. 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 33 

This could be done in the winter with little difficulty, and would 
widen the channel enough to lessen the fall. Little trouble will 
be experienced in running this rapid with a good boat, although 
several accidents have occurred here. The channel to the right 
is the one usually run. The illustration was taken from the high 
bank some distance below, from the west side. The country here 
is generally wooded, with terraced, open, grassy slopes on the 
southern hillsides. 

RINK RAPIDS. 

These rapids are some six miles below Five Fingers and are 
formed b}- a bar of rocks reaching nearly across the river. This, 
on the west side is quite as bad as the Five Fingers, but on the 
east there is scarcely a ripple, and a small river steamer would 
have no difficulty in following this shore. In running here, by 
keeping close to the east shore, it will not be necessary to stop at 
all. The valley now becomes wider, while the hills are less de- 
lined. The river rapidly widens also, and islands are numerous. 
The current runs about live miles an hour, while farther down it 
increases to fully six miles. About thirty mJles below some sin- 
gular formations occur; one particular mound-shaped butte rises 
out of a flat, while others come down to the river's edge. Some 
croppings of quartz are seen in these bluffs. Farther down, the 
river becomes wider and so filled with islands that it is hard to 
tell where the shores are, until the high hills on the west are 
reached. These come down to the water very abrupt, and the 
current is increased. 

OLD FORT SELKIRK. 

Old Fort Selkirk is fifty-five miles from Five Fingers and just 
below the confluence of the Pelly and Lewis rivers. Here Harper 
has a trading post, and Captain Healey's company winter their 
boat, the P. B. Weare. 

On the east side there is a high basalt plateau, .said to have 
come from a large v^olcano some thirty miles up Pelly river. It 
has an abrupt front and has crowded the river some distance to 
the west, which it follows some six or eight miles, where it ter- 
minates in hills of sand and limestone. 



34 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

Just below the confluence of the Pelly and Lewis rivers is the 
point at which old Fort Selkirk stood before it was pillaged and 
burned, August i, 1852, b}^ the coast Indians, Only the ruins of 
the chimneys can now be found. Fine gardens belonging to the 
mission and post were seen here. A good grazing country of con- 
siderable extent surrounds this site. The river from here on for 
some distance has a uniform width, with abrupt hills coming quite 
down to the water's edge. Farther on, the river widens to fully 
one mile, and contains many islands, all well timbered. The form- 
ation is mostl}- limestone with some granite, slate and croppings 
of quartz everywhere. 



WHITE RIVER. 

Ninety-six miles from Fort Selkirk the White river enters from 
the west. It is, beyond all doubt, the most wonderful of all this 
great system of rivers. It is a large stream and carries a vast vol- 
ume of water, having an eight to a ten-mile current. The water 
is extremely muddy, due to a white, glassy substance which com- 
pletely colors the entire Yukon until it is but little clearer than 
the White river itself. The White discharges its waters into the 
Yukon with such a force that the roar can be heard for some dis- 
tance, and this muddy tributary is projected nearlj^ across the 
swift current of the main river. White river drains a high, 
mountainous country away to the west, according to the statement 
of a Tanana Indian, who has traveled the country extensively, 
and who, with eight others, came from Tanana. They came 
down White river, to the point on the Yukon where we met them, 
in a skin canoe built for the purpose. They also informed us that 
many high mountains and a large lake many days' travel to the 
west laj^ near the source of the White, and that one of the mount- 
ains was many times higher than the others and was often seen 
emitting fire and smoke and was known to the Indians as Thunder 
mountain. I asked them if the mountain was covered with clouds 
most of the time. They told me that sometimes in summer it 
could not be seen, and that in winter it was never visible. This 
would prove that it was not of the Coast range, if such a mountain 
does really exist. 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 35 

VOLCANIC AvSH DEPOSITS. 

The White river must come from a glacial region, and probabl}^ 
flows over volcanic deposits, as its sediment is similar to ashes and 
is noticed all along the river below the lakes. This volcanic ash 
appears to have been deposited like snow, and is said to cover a 
vast extent of territory. Dr. Dawson reports finding it all along 
the Pelh' river, but found it of a much greater thickness on the 
Lewis river at a point directly west of the deposits on the Felly, 
thus proving that the seat of action was to the west. That the 
deposit is of recent date there can be little doubt, as it overla5^s 
driftwood in some of the cut banks of the Lewis and is covered 
with very little soil. However, all the timber has grown since its 
fall, as I noticed trees of the largest size growing on drift deposits 
which overlaid it several feet. Dawson says this ash deposit prob- 
ably covers 25,000 square miles, and he is undoubtedly the best 
authority on such matters of any one who has visited that region. 
His report to the Canadian government shows him to be the clos- 
est observer of everything. I do not believe the eruption which 
deposited this ash took place in the Coast range. I can find no 
record of its being noticed on the coast or by any of the explorers 
who visited the vicinit}' of this range of mountains in this dis- 
trict, or in the Copper river district, bej^ond the Coast range, 
where it should be more evident. This, and the reported burning 
mountain of the interior, the muddy waters of the White river, 
the exceedingly muddy condition of all these waters, the fact that 
the deposit at the time of action was doubtless of a very light 
character, and that the prevailing west winds would prevent its fall- 
ing to any extent to the west, all these facts go to prove that the 
action took place near the head waters of the White river, and the 
possible existence of an active volcano there at the present time. 

The Yukon rapidly widens below the White river to fully one 
mile and contains many islands, all well timbered. The valley 
also widens with the river. 

STEWART RIVER. 

Ten miles below the White river the Stewart river enters from 
the east and helps swell the already mighty Yukon. The Stewart 
has a mild current, with deep, darkish waters. It is bordered by 



36 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

rolling hills, which in turn are backed by high hills, rising to the 
dignity of mountains in many places. The bars of the river have 
furnished lucrative diggings for years to many miners, and many 
hundred miles of tributaries and gulches yet remain to be pros- 
pected. It is probably navigable for small river steamers for 
many miles and is said to drain some large lakes away to the 
southeast. It is undoubtedly three hundred miles in length, not 
counting its many tributaries. Just below the mouth, on the west, 
are some abrupt hills, apparently of limestone. 



SIXTY-MILE CREEK. 

Seventy miles below the mouth of vStewart river Sixty-Mile 
creek enters from the west. Harper and Ladue have a trading 
post and a sawmill here on an island. About one hundred miners 
annually winter here. Sixty-Mile creek has a swift current and 
is filled with rapids, making it very difficult to ascend. Miller 
creek enters Sixty-Mile creek about seventy miles from its mouth. 
Little traveling to Miller creek is done by the way of water, for 
it is much easier to ascend Sixty-Mile creek and portage over the 
Bald hills to the head of Miller. Below Sixty-Mile creek the 
Yukon holds its usual current and contains many islands. The 
valley is not so broad, however, the hills being abrupt and of 
various formations, abundant croppings of quartz being seen 
everywhere. 

INDIAN CREEK AND KLONDYKE RIYER. 

Thirty miles below Sixty-Mile creek, Indian creek enters the 
Yukon. Here discoveries were made last season that were re- 
ported very rich. The stream is rapid, with very little water, and 
some of the miners have ascended it a distance of one hundred 
miles. Fifty miles from Sixty Mile creek the Klondyke river en- 
ters from the east, and just here the great copper belt crosses the 
Yukon. The Indians have a fishing camp at this point, the 
Klondyke being a noted stream for salmon. Its waters are very 
clear and shallow, being one continual succession of riffles. It has 
its .source in a high range of snow-capped mountains, probably a 
spur of the Rocky mountains. This section of the country abounds 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 37 

in game. A great many bear come down from the mountains in 
summer to feed on the numerous sahnon that crowd up this stream 
and become easy prey to bruin, owing to the shallow water. 
Among these bear is a species of grizzly that is very bold and 
ferocious, so much so, that the Indians have a deadly fear of 
hunting up this creek in the salmon season. Six miles below are 
the ruins of old Fort Reliance. Many curious formations of lime 
and sandstone, which have been worn into fantasti-c shapes, occur. 
Quartz croppings are seen all along, while granite, schist, meta- 
morphic and crystalline rock similar to those of the Rocky moun- 
tains are not uncommon. 

Twelve miles below Fort Reliance, coming from the east, is a 
small, rapid creek, which, as far as I know, has no name. It 
drains a large and inviting valley, while high snow-capped moun- 
tains can be seen in the distance. This creek seems never to have 
been prospected and is surely a promising looking spot. From 
here to Forty Mile creek, the current is normal and the river more 
confined by high banks and consequently has fewer islands. 



FORTY MILE CREEK. 

Forty Mile creek received its name from entering the Yukon 
about forty miles from old Fort Reliance. For years its bars have 
yielded large returns for the labor expended, but these diggings 
have been abandoned for some time for the gulches that furnish 
coarse gold and which have become famed all over the country. 
Forty Mile creek is about two hundred and fifty miles long and 
has many tributaries, all of which carry gold in paying quantities. 
It enters the Yukon from the west and drains that country lying 
between the Yukon and Tanana rivers. This country is nearl}^ 
covered with glacial drift to the depth of many feet. It is all of 
peculiar formation, there being no defined range of mountains, 
but a jumble of bald hills, the glacial drip of which feeds hun- 
dreds of tributaries to the larger creeks. The formation of this 
country will be found marked upon the maps as they occur. 
These maps cover all of Forty Mile creek and its branches and 
that part of Sixty Mile creek and its gulches which is being 
worked to any extent, both the summer and winter trials being 
marked by dotted lines. The summer trail leads up Forty Mile 



38 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

creek bj^ boat to Moose creek, a distance of twenty-seven miles, 
then by trail over Bald hills to the head of Miller creek, a dis- 
tance of thirty-four miles. Poker, Davis, Glacier and Little Gold 
creeks all lie within a few miles of Miller creek. 



MILLER CREEK. 

Miller creek thus far has proved to have the richest diggings, 
various estimates placing the sum taken out last season as high 
as $300,000. In one claim alone $35,000 were taken out and the 
place worked was only thirty by one hundred feet, one clean-up 
being made of i, 100 ounces. 

This creek is not more than six miles long with about fifty-four 
claims, and many of the lower claims are not opened up to any 
extent as yet. A claim here consists of five hundred feet of the 
creek and maj^ reach up both sides of the gulch an indefinite dis- 
tance. The discoverer is allowed two claims or one thousand 
feet. 

Miller creek was prospected and given up three times before it 
was thought profitable to work, thus showing how difficult pros- 
pecting becomes here, owing to the vast quantities of glacial drift 
everwhere. Miller creek furnishes work for about 125 men, the 
prevailing pay being ten dollars a day. Provisions and necessities 
are correspondingly high; potatoes and onions sold for $1 a pound; 
flour, $19.50 per sack of fifty pound; gum boots $18 per pair; 
butter, $1.50 per pound; whiskey, $1 per glass and other things in 
proportion. This applies to all mining creeks lying near Miller 
creek, namely, Davis creek, Pike's gulch. Little Gold creek and 
Glacier creek. These prices are brought about by the enormous 
cost of packing from Forty Mile Post to the mines on these creeks. 

FREIGHTING. 

This is done from Forty Mile Post up to the mouth of Moose 
creek by freighters of from six to eight tons burden, poled by In- 
dians, and thence over the hills to Miller creek, thirty-four miles 
farther. Supplies are carried by miners and Indians and even 
sleigh dogs are used, a good dog carrying as high as fifty pounds. 
The total distance from Forty Mile Post to the head of Miller 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 39 

creek is about sixty-one miles, and the cost of freighting in sum- 
mer is $30 per hundred pounds. Two small horses were used 
here with good results in the summer of '94. The round trip from 
the mouth of Moose creek to Miller, a distance of thirty-four 
miles, can be made in three days with a load of 200 pounds. This 
distance is lessened some by the winter trail. All freighting in 
winter is done by sleighs with dogs at a cost of $10 to $13 per 
hundred pounds. They haul much larger loads than one would 
suppose and make long distances over the ice and snow. Their 
food consists entirely of dried salmon and they lie down at night 
in the snow to rest and sleep after their long, hard day's work, 
often with the thermometer down to sixty degrees below zero. 



GLACIER CREEK. 

This creek lies east of Miller creek, three miles distant, running 
nearly parallel with it, and being separated only by a high range 
of hills. It has been prospected several times but was not located 
till last season. Some preliminary work had been done towards 
opening it up. Such claims as were prospected to any. great ex- 
tent promise fair to be equally as rich as those on Miller creek. 
The excitement occurred in August and was started by some 
prospectors who discovered rich finds in the old dumps of previ- 
ous prospectors. Within six hours the whole creek was staked 
out, the locators being mostly the hired miners of Miller creek. 



PROSPECTING AND MINING. 

Prospecting in this country is very difficult owing to the char- 
acter of the surface, the general formation being soft, the hills 
having been worn smooth by glacial action which left a layer 
of drift over the whole country to a depth of from five to fifteen 
feet. This is frozen the whole year with the exception of a few 
inches on the surface. 

The method of prospecting is usually carried on by sinking a 
number of holes to bed-rock across the bed of the creek, or cross- 
cutting it by a tunnel and testing the dirt every few feet by 
panning, thus locating the pay-streak. After a creek has been 
prospected and located then it becomes necessary to remove the 



40 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

glacial drift. The trees and roots are removed and a stream of 
water turned on which with the help of the sun in time bares the 
paj^-streak. The course of the water is then turned along the 
side of the hill, a dam built and sluice-boxes erected. These are 
made with corrugated bottoms which catch and retain the gold. 
They are given a grade regulated by the coarseness of the gold; 
that is, if the gold is of an exceedingly fine qualitj', the grade 
will be slight, but if of a coarser character, a greater pitch can be 
given, which is always preferable, as the swiftness of the water 
enables a greater quantity of dirt to be handled. The lack of 
water in these gulches proves a great hindrance in many cases. 
The seasons are dry and only the glacial drip of the hills can be 
depended upon. 

A method lately adopted on these creeks by which mining can 
be done in winter has proved profitable besides doing away with 
the long period of idleness. This is called burnmg, and is done 
by drifting, melting away the frost by fire and taking out only the 
pay dirt, leaving the glacial drift and .surface intact. The pay 
dirt thus removed is easily washed in the spring when water is 
plenty. 

BED-ROCK CREEK. 

This creek is about three miles distant from Miller creek to the 
west and runs nearl}^ parallel with it. Although it has been pro.s- 
pected to some extent, and some claims have been located, it has 
not proved very satisfactory; yet it may contain gold in paying 
quantities. The creek, as its name indicates, is not overlaid with 
the usual amount of glacial drift and therefore would be much 
more easily worked. It is much better timbered than the sur- 
rounding creeks and carries a greater volume of water, being fed 
by numerous springs among which are several fine soda and other 
mineral springs. This creek seems to differ in many respects 
from any of the others and the geologist might find many sur- 
prises in its exceedingl}' interesting and wonderful formation. 



. BALD HILLS. 

From the summit of the Bald hills at the head of these creeks 
is one of the grandest scenes on this continent. Scores of spark- 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 41 

ling streams, like threads of silver, stretch away toward every 
point of the compass. To the west high mountains tint the 
horizon with blue; while to the north and east, beyond the mighty 
Yukon, a spur of the Rocky mountains can be traced for more 
than a hundred miles, its snow-capped peaks piercing the clouds. 
To the northwest the high cut banks of Forty Mile creek can be 
seen, while beyond, the old standard land mark, whose dome can 
never be mistaken, no matter from what point of view it is seen, 
looms up grandly. 

FORTY MILE POST. 

Forty Mile Post is situated on the point of land formed by 
Forty Mile creek and the Yukon. This point at times of high 
water is converted into an island, some portions of which are 
occasionally submerged. Beyond this and bordering the hills is a 
fine table land, extensive enough to make a fine townsite. The 
officers of the Canadian government have made sufficient reserves 
here for custom buildings and police headquarters. This tract, I 
believe, is under the immediate direction of Captain C. Constan- 
tine. 

The town at present consists of ten saloons, McQuestion & Co's 
store, twoJblacksmith shops, two restaurants, three billiard halls, 
two dance houses, opera house, cigar factory, barber shop, two 
bakeries and several breweries and distilleries. The town has a 
recorder and the sum of five dollars is charged for the filing and 
staking of lots. In order to hold a lot the owner must erect a 
building within a certain time; if it is to be a cabin, it must be 
built within six months after location. 

The buildings are all made of logs chinked with moss; the 
roofs are of poles covered with a layer of moss with a foot of dirt 
over all. 

Living is reasonable, two dollars a day being charged for board 
bj- the two restaurants while cabins can be rented for from thirty 
to thirtv-five dollars for the winter season. 



42 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 



DOGS. 

One of the first things to attract attention here, as well as 
throughout the entire Yukon basin, is the great number of dogs. 
They are closely related to the wolf, and if they are not natural 
born thieves they are nothing. They usually celebrate the arri- 
val of all new comers by a general fight. They will steal any- 
thing from a pair of boots to a side of bacon; one actually stole a 




paste pot from me while I was at work on some pictures. The}^ 
manifest a great degree of cunning in their attempts at stealing. 
Snowshoes, dog harness and the like, as well as all kinds of un- 
canned meats have to be cached. This is done by erecting a 
strong house upon posts, twelve or fifteen feet above ground, for 
the safe keeping of all such articles. As previously stated, these 
dogs are used in freighting to the mines in winter. An addi- 
tional charge of two cents a pound is made on bacon and all un- 
canned meats on account of the extra trouble to keep that class 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 43 

of goods from the dogs. The howling of wolves would be pleas- 
ant music compared with the howling of these dogs at night. 
Under the least provocation, in the calm of night, one \K\\\ start 
in and almost simultaneously every dog within five miles will join 
in a general uproar. They often continue their howlings for 
hours. In spite of all these inconveniences, the dog is to the in- 
habitants of the Yukon what the reindeer is to the "Laplander, 
the horse to the inhabitants of the plains. In winter they are 
hitched to a sleigh and in summer loaded with packs. When the 
day comes for them to be replaced by the reindeer that roam Bald 
hills in bands of thovisands, all will rejoice, for the dogs are 
always partially loaded with their own food, and in cases of dis- 
tress furnish poor food even for a famished miner. The flesh of 
the reindeer is a delicacy, and they are able to subsist in all parts 
of the countr}'. 

FORT CUDAHY. 

Just below where Forty Mile creek unites with the Yukon, on a 
beautiful wooded shelf, high above the river, protected from the 
north and west winds by high hills, rests Fort Cudahy. This 
town was founded by Captain Healey and is the headquarters of 
the North American Transportation and Trading Company, bet- 
ter known here as Captain Healey's Company. While this com- 
pany is a new comer, having been there only three years, yet in 
that time the opposition started by it has reduced the price of 
living about one-half. This is of the greatest importance to the 
development of the country, and makes it possible to work dig- 
gings that were previously abandoned. They have erected large 
warehouses, a sawmill, free reading room, billiard hall and many 
fine cabins. Their boat, the P. B. Weave, is a modern river boat, 
and is able to carry a cargo of 350 tons. 



COAL CREEK. 

The river below Forty Mile creek is bordered on both sides by 
abrupt hills with no valleys whatever, the islands becoming less 
numerous. Coal creek enters from the east about seven miles be- 
low the mouth of Forty Mile creek. It is quite rapid, and navi- 



44 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

gable for a few miles only. The formation is limestone, with 
frequent croppings of coal. Extensive leads of coal are reported 
to exist 'some distance from the river. The coal of this country, 
as far as known, is lignite in character, and seems of recent form- 
ation. In fact, many parts of the country appear to be under- 
going the later processes of the carboniferous period. Coal creek 
cuts its way back to a high range of mountains, evidently a spur 
of the Rocky mountains. The river does not cut this range, but 
flows around what appears to be the terminus. The country south 
and east of the range is well timbered, but nothing further is 
known of it. From the mouth of Coal creek on to the Yukon 
flats the characteristics of the river remain about the same. The 
current is strong, the hills abrupt and the formation sand and 
limestone, with conglomerates and shales. Crystalline gneiss and 
granite veins are not uncommon. 



CIRCLE CITY. 

About 170 miles from Forty Mile creek, on the west bank, an 
elevated table-land borders the river. This is just within the 
Yukon flats. Here the new camp of Circle City was founded in 
the fall of 1894. It is the distributing point for the vast region of 
Birch creek, and will undoubtedly become the metropolis of the 
Yukon, not only on account of the extensive auriferous deposits 
known to exist there, but principally because it is on American 
soil. More than one hundred men have prospected the creek and 
the bars adjacent to Birch creek, and all agree that it bids fair to 
rival the now famous Forty Mile creek. On the opposite page is a 
view taken of the first supplies landed at that point, September 5, 
1894. Two buildings for stores were soon under construction, and 
it is probable that 300 men passed the present winter there. The 
town is laid off" into streets, Main street facing the river. It has 
a recorder,- who charges a fee of two dollars and fifty cents for re- 
cording locations of lots. A building clause has to be carried 
out in order to hold the lots. 

A portage of six miles westward from Circle City strikes Birch 
creek 200 miles from its mouth, from which point the river is fol- 
lowed by boat to Crooked river, thence up to the mines on Inde- 
pendence, Mastodon and other creeks. A shorter way is by port- 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 



age across the flats and over a range of high hills to the heads of 
the mining creeks. The distance by trail, as shown on the map 
b}' the dotted lines, is about fifty-two miles. 



BIRCH CREEK. 

Birch creek was prospected some in 1S93, enough to show that 
the country contained some gold, the first being discovered on 
Malamute creek of the north fork. Eater gold was found on other 
creeks by a half-breed Indian. McCarthy bar, on the main creek, 
also proved quite rich. Some miners followed the creek for 350 
miles and reported the main creek to be filled with rapids and can- 
yons for that distance. Much of the creek cuts the Yukon flats 
and other low sections of the country, which would necessarily 
give it a milder current than most of the streams running into the 
Yukon. The south fork runs southwest and drains that country 
lying near the head of Seventy-Mile creek. The north fork drains 
much country in and adjacent to the Ratzel mountains. 

In the season of 1894 nearly one hundred men prospected this 
country, and as many claims were staked off" on Mastodon, Inde- 
pendence and other creeks. Bedrock here is much nearer the sur- 
face than in the Forty-Mile district, and the above named creeks 
have a better grade; therefore many claims were well opened up, 
and some even yielded good returns. Eater many men went there 
from the Forty-Mile mines. This year will find many prospectors 
in this locality, and undoubtedly very rich and extensive creeks 
will be located. Circle City, the distributing point for these mines, 
has a much better site than Forty- Mile Post, and being nearer the 
mouth of the river, receives supplies first. The greatest draw- 
back to the development of these mines wnll be the lack of sup- 
plies. The miners depend on the snow and ice for freighting their 
summer supplies to the mines. As there is scarcely supplies 
enough in the country to carry the number wintering there 
through, it will be impossible to obtain any to freight to the 
mines, nor can prospectors obtain supplies for a summer's pros- 
pecting trip until the first boats arrive, which will be well into the 
summer, too late to start on an extensive trip. This will occur 
again next year, unless the company more than doubles the 
amount of supplies for that year, as in all probability more than 
double the number of men will winter there. 



4(3 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 



PREACHER CREEK. 



Preacher creek enters Birch some sixt}^ miles below the portage 
and is about one hundred and twenty-five miles in length. It has 
been prospected very little, but its head waters are said to cut a 
country of ver}- peculiar formation. Two men who prospected 
there last year found little gold, but much else of interest. They 
expect to make a second trip the coming year. 

The creek was named after a preacher who made an exploration 
trip of some length in search of fossils. It is reported he found 
high clay banks some seventy miles from its mouth. These banks 
were about three hundred feet high and overlaid a layer of drift- 
wood some two hundred feet down. Much of this driftwood was 
well preserved and of much larger dimensions than any growth in 
the country at present, some of the trees being fully four feet in 
diameter. The creek is constantly undermining its banks, thus 
bringing down great slides of clay and wood, which completely 
fill the creek at times. This goes to prove beyond a doubt that 
the great Yukon flats were at one time a vast lake, much larger 
than anv fresh water lake existing to-dav. 



YUKON FEATS. 

The Yukon flats are traversed by the river from Circle Cit}^ 
to the Lower Ramparts, a distance of four hundred miles. Their 
width equals their length. This tract includes the mouth of the 
Porcupine, Birch and several smaller creeks. At the point the 
river leaves these flats it cuts its way through a low range of 
mountains called the Rampart mountains. It then turns to the 
west and follows the range some three hundred miles farther. 
This range of mountains was undoubtedly the barrier that formed 
the great lake of the past. This lake must have been larger than 
Great Slave lake and quite as deep. There must have been a fall 
mightier than Niagara at its outlet before the great barrier was 
worn or broken away. All this time the mighty Yukon and the 
Porcupine were depositing the wash from hundreds of streams 
and mountains, forming the flats of to-day. Now this silt is car- 
ried down the river and deposited at its mouth forming the delta 
of the Yukon. Some idea of the enormous amount of sediment 



- n^vfA" 








GUIDE TO THE YUKON 47 

annually deposited may be had by notino: what takes place along 
the banks of the main river and numerous tributaries, upon the 
breaking up of the ice in the spring. Often cakes of solid ice 
eight feet thick and acres in area come tearing down the river, 
cutting and plowing the banks until they become so undermined 
that they scarcely sustain their own weight. Large fields of ice 
follow, borne madly along by the irresistible current, and strike the 
overhanging mass of earth. With a roar like an avalanche the 
high bank gives away and is precipitated upon the field of ice be- 
low, nearly sinking it. Slowly rising, it throws off most of its 
weight of rocks, gravel and earth. The rocks and gravel sink 
but the finer particles are kept moving along by this rapid cur- 
rent. A pail of this water allowed to stand over night will con- 
tain a half-inch of sediment in the morning. The same current 
bears these ice-floes onward to be deposited upon some .'^and bar 
near the river's mouth, or to be carried far out into Behring sea. 
Nearh' ever}^ cake gathers a load on its long journey down, some 
carrying rocks, others trees, sand or clay, all helping to transform 
and build up in a manner unsurpassed by any other river in the 
v.'orld. Only such rivers as rise in the south and flow northward; 
carry such fields of ice in the breaking up; the Yukon's only 
northern competitors are the Mackenzie and Lena of Siberia. 



FOSSILS. 

After the waters of this great lake subsided, it became the home 
of the mastodon w-hich it is believed roamed this vast northern 
waste in countless numbers and of a size beyond any living thing 
of the present age. Tusks of fossil ivory are numerous through- 
out these northern regions besides bones and teeth of a marvelous 
size. An island known as Mammoth island seems to have been 
a burying place for one of the.se herds, remains being piled up in 
great profusion. The habitat of these animals seemed to range 
to the westward into the Copper river district and remains are 
found throughout the Birch creek district and even in the Ratzel 
mountains. Nearly the whole basin furnishes some fo.ssils, but 
the flats and country adjacent contain the greatest abundance. 
Many believe the unexplored country toward the head of Copper 
river contains living specimens. Many tales are told by Indians 



48 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

from that region of huge woolly beasts with horns like the trunk 
of the birch tree. They say that in winter puffs of steam issue 
from their nostrils like that from a steamboat. The stories of 
their size are interesting even to one acquainted with the Mission 
Indians. Badlani in his Wonders of Alaska tells of tusks bought 
by the Alaska Trading Company with flesh and blood still ad- 
hering to them. He has also heard of a huge bear that inhabits 
the higher mountains of the Yukon country whose legs are longer 
on one side than on the other, thus facilitating his lonely meander- 
ings on the sides of the cloud-swept peaks. I have no doubt if 
Badlam had met one of those favored freaks of nature he would 
have learned a great deal more about them, for it would seem 
that an animal thus constructed would experience great difficulty 
in turning and making off in the opposite direction, unless the 
same providence had constructed it like a double ender with 
search-lights at either end. 



LOWER RAMPARTS. 

The Rampart mountains are followed by the river manj- miles 
after leaving the flats, and no streams of any note enter until the 
Tanana river is reached. This river is probably six or seven 
hundred miles long with many tributaries. It drains that country 
lying between the Copper river and the Yukon as far south as the 
White river. This river is little known and the Indians there are 
reported hostile. The country about the head waters will un- 
doubtedly prove one of the richest gold fields of the whole countrj- 
and prospectors will probably push their way there within the 
next two years. 

NUKLUKYETO. 

Nuklukj^eto is situated on the north bank just below the mouth 
of the Tozikakat river. The Alaska Commercial Company has a 
post here, run by Al. Meyhue, who has been in the country for 
more than thirty years. The trade here is almost entirely with 
the Indians, many of the Tanana Indians coming all the waj- from 
the head waters of the Tanana in summer to trade. 



GULDE TO THE YUKON 49 



KOYUKUK RIVER. 



This river enters from the north and is the first large river after 
leaving the Tanana. It enters the Yukon about five hundred 
miles below that river and is navigable for many miles. It is 
quite as large as the Tanana but has a much milder current. The 
Alaska Commercial Company has a small steamer that supplies 
their po.sts on this river as well as the missions. Gold has been 
found on this river in paying quantities. Nulato, a trading post 
of the Alaska Commercial Company, is situated on the same side 
of the river some distance below. From here the river is much 
wider, yet losing little of its force of current. The country pre- 
sents a sameness on this lower river that becomes monotonous even 
on the down trip, with the boat making as high as twenty- two 
miles an hour. It must seem much more monotonous on the up 
trip on account of the slow progress of the boat. 



LOWER RIVER NATIVES. 

Indians of an inferior class become more numerous as the mouth 
is approached. Their fishing camps are passed at almost every 
turn of the river and they have fish-traps at every eddy and pro- 
tected place. A large number died last winter owing to the severe 
cold, floods and lack of food. Their food consists almost entirely 
of fish, and the only clothing worn by many is made from pre- 
pared salmon skins. Boots and gloves are also made from salmon 
skins. These Indians are laz}' and it is with difficulty that they 
can be induced to cut wood for the steamers. There are very few 
fur-bearing animals in this section of the countr}^, hence wood is 
about the only means of barter they have. It is very abundant 
along the banks of the river. 

The Innoko and Anvik rivers are the only other streams of 
any importance that enter the Yukon from here on. After pass- 
ing those rivers the current becomes much milder and the river 
wider. Islands are passed near the mouth, some of which hav^e a 
total length of one hundred miles. The flats and sand bars make 
feeding and hatching ground for thousands of wild geese. The 
mouth of the river spreads out to a great wadth and its numerous 
channels are filled with sand bars. Probably hundreds of miles 

3 



50 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

of this low land has been filled in with the silt brought down by 
the swift current of this might}' volume of water. Behring sea for 
miles is shoaled to such an extent that vessels drawing more than 
a few feet of water have to land their cargoes at St. Michael's 
island, about sixt}' miles from the mouth of the river, and the 
river boats are compelled to make this stretch of open water. 



SAINT MICHAEL'S ISLAND. 

Here the trading companies of the Yukon district have their 
principal warehouses. The Alaska Commercial Company has 
been established here for j-ears and has fine painted buildings, 
presenting a pleasing appearance. A new company, the North 
American Trading and Transportation Company, is also building 
fine large warehouses and as it is a wideawake, progressive com- 
pany, it will undoubtedly have as fine buildings as the other has. 
They both carry a large stock of goods through the winter and 
many men could find comfortable quarters here, if by accident 
supplies run short up the river, which is liable to be the case if 
a very great number of men go into the mines this spring. 

The ice does not leave the mouth of the river and about Saint 
Michael's until the first of June. Ships loaded for this island sel- 
dom find it convenient to land their cargo before June 20. This 
makes the running season for the river boats little more than three 
months. In that time they can usualh' make three trips to Forty 
Mile Post, extending one trip up as far as the Pell}', if no accident 
happens to delay them. Accidents are always possible owing to 
the constant changing of the sand bars. To run a boat upon one 
of those bars means much delay, especially if it occurs on the down 
trip. These river boats will connect at Saint Michael's with 
steamers running to Seattle and San Francisco. A time-card can 
be found on another page giving the necessary information con- 
cerning the time of leaving points along the route. These boats 
connect with the mail boat for Sitka and way points. The trip 
along the coast is one of great interest. Many noted points are 
passed and active volcanos seen. Wild fowl, fur seal, walrus and 
whale can be seen from the ship's deck almo.st any day. The 
curio seeker can reap a rich harvest, for few who visit this countrj' 
have time or inclination to indulge in the collection of specimens. 
The Indians about St. Michael's are very ingenious and indus- 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 51 

trious. A collection there would consist chief!}' of ivory fashioned 
into everything from a symbolic representation of the history of 
the famih' to an expected addition. 



NAVIGATION ON THE YUKON. 

The navigable waters of the Yukon and its tributaries are al- 
most unlimited. The Lewis can undoubtedly be ascended to the 
foot of White Horse in a suitable boat, while the lakes above 
would furnish hundreds of miles of navigable waters. The Pelly 
could also be ascended a good distance, while many of its branches 
are also navigable. The Stewart, Tahkeena, Hootalinqua and its 
lake connections, would make fine waterways, while the Porcu- 
pine, Tanana, Koyukuk, Anvik and White rivers. Birch creek, 
Salmon river and many others, to the extent of many thousand 
miles, will in time be navigated by steamers. At present there 
are two large boats running from St. Michael's to Pelly river. 
One, the Arctic, owned by the Alaska Commercial Company, is 
used to supply their stations at Forty-Mile Post, Sixty-Mile and 
Pelly rivers. This company has done a trading business for many 
years and has large warehouses at St. Michael's, sixty miles from 
the mouth of the river. They also run several smaller boats to 
their stations along the lower river and will undoubtedly add a 
new and larger boat to their fleet in the spring. The P. B. Weare, 
1 am informed, is the largest boat navigating these waters at pres- 
ent. It is owned by the North American Trading and Transpor- 
tation Company and is used to supply their stations along the 
river. It is a large, modern river boat, with large double boilers, 
and consumes about twenty-five cords of wood per day. The two 
companies will double the amount of supplies this year and will 
.undoubtedly be able to supply all who visit the mines the coming 
season. Connections will be made at St. Michael's with boats for 
San Francisco and Sound points. The following passenger rates 
are now charged: From Forty- Mile Post to St. Michael's, first- 
class, $50.00, second class, $30.00; to San Francisco, first-class, 
$175.00, second class, $150.00. The North American Trading 
and Transportation Company will run passenger steamers from 
San Francisco and Seattle. The boats will accommodate about one 
hundred passengers. Tourists, miners and others wishing to go 
to the Yukon country without the hardships accompanying the 



52 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

trip down the river and at a reasonable price will patronize the 
North American Trading and Transportation Company's boats. 

TAKU ROUTE. 

The Canadian government is making a preliminarj^ survej' of 
this route and will build a trail within the 3'ear, if such concessions 
as are necessarj^ can be had from our government. This trail 
would open up all their extensive country Ij'ing beyond the Coast 
range down to the 141st meridian, most of which is a good graz- 
ing country, as well as being rich in minerals. This route leads 
up the Taku Inlet to the Coast range, thence by a low pass a dis- 
tance of about eighty-five miles to waters running into Lake Tes- 
lin. The pass is said to be timbered the entire distance and to 
run through a fine grazing country. By striking the waters of 
Teslin lake, thence across this lake and down the Hootklinqua, no 
falls are encountered other than the Five Fingers, which offer no 
great obstacles. This would always prove an easy route, but 
would, in case of a trail by way of Chilkoot or White pass, be 
used only for the country not reached by those trails, they being 
so much shorter than the Taku. 

Should our government grant such concessions as the Canadian 
government will ask for, such a trail would prove the greatest 
detriment to our interests on the Pacific coast. Not only the 
wholesale houses on the Sound, but the outfitting establishments 
of Juneau would suffer thereby. Victoria would at once come 
into prominence, and English goods would take the place of Amer- 
can goods. Not only would this hold true in their own territory, 
but large quantities of those goods would find their way across 
the line and supply miners on our side of the present imaginary 
boundary. When the boundary is definitely established, it will 
be difficult to enforce custom regulations. If our government is 
not willing to assist in the development of Alaska, it should see 
to it that what has been accomplished by private enterprise shall 
not be injured by foreign competition. 

WHITE PASS. 

This is undoubtedly the best pass, all things considered, that 
cuts the coast range. It is at least one thousand feet lower than 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 53 

the Chilkoot and little higher than the Taku. It is reported tim- 
bered the entire length. Its salt water terminus is about eightj-- 
five miles north of Juneau, and ocean steamers can run up to the 
landing at all times, where there is a good townsite, well protected 
from storms. The pass lies through a box canyon surrounded by 
high granite peaks, and is comparatively easy. The first seven 
miles from salt water lie up the bottom lands of the Skagway 
river through heavy timber. Then for about seven miles farther 
the way is over piles of boulders and moraines which would prove 
the most expensive part of the trail. This trail would not exceed 
thirty-two miles in length and would strike Windy armofTagish 
lake or Taku arm coming in farther up the lake. All of this part 
of the lake is well timbered and accessible to Lake Bennett and 
its connections. White pass could be used as a mail route any 
month in the year. 

CHILKOOT PASS. 

This pass is the shortest of all the passes but the highest by at 
least one thousand feet. It is the one always used by the mniers 
and is the route followed in the pages of this guide. It starts at 
the head of Taiya inlet and follows the bottom lands of the Taiya 
river for some eight miles, where it enters the canyon. The Sheep 
camp is at timber line and from there the scene is one of extreme 
desolation, occupied only by glaciers and mountain sheep. No 
vegetation of anj^ kind cani be seen for miles around the summit. 
Healey & Wilson have a trading post and outfitting establish- 
ment at Taiya. They will give all necessary assistance in secur- 
ing packers over this trail. The total length of this trail from 
Wilson's to Lake Lindeman is about twenty-four miles, although 
a second short portage at the foot of Lindeman will have to be 
made. If this trail should ever become the improved route, this 
piece of river could be made navigable for lighters. 



CHILKAT PASS. 

The Chilkat trail leads over the Chilkat pass and is about one 
hundred and twenty-five miles in length from the head of Chilkat 
inlet to where it strikes the waters of the Tahkeena river. This 



54 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

was the old trail used by the Indians to and from the interior and 
leads all the way through to Old Fort Selkirk by land. Jack 
Daulton has used this trail at times in taking horses to the interior, 
portaging to the Tahkeena, then by raft down that river to the 
Lewis, thus proving that the Tahkeena is navigable for a small 
stern-wheel steamer for a distance of some seventy miles. 



POSSIBLE RAILROx^D ROUTE. 

As the mines of the Yukon are developed and the basin becomes 
populated with the large number that must necessarily follow 
within a few years, means of quicker mail and transportation facil- 
ities will be needed. When the Siberian & Arctic railroad shall 
become a reality trains could leave Chicago by way of Winnipeg 
and reach the Yukon basin in three days' run ; thence on to Behr- 
ing straits, which could easily be tunneled. Four days out from 
Chicago would land one on Siberian soil. This would open up 
the greatest commercial route the world has ever known. Three 
thousand miles of this route are already built and operated by the 
Russian government, and with the more liberal views of that 
government, which seem to be assured in the near future, and the 
constant concentration of capital which is .seeking great enter- 
prises, a populated country through which to run, and the com- 
paratively few obstacles in the construction of such a road, all 
go to assure its success. At no far di.stant day this railroad could 
run parallel with the Rocky mountains and follow the high table- 
land all the way to the Yukon without encountering any obstacles 
whatever in an engineering sen.se, and the whole distance to 
the straits would prove no more difficult than building a road 
across our plain country. This route would soon become the 
tourist route to all Europe. No longer would the dangers of the 
sea and the ever-dreaded seasickness be considered in a contem- 
plated trip abroad. 

RESOURCES.— COPPER. 

Copper will undoubtedly prove in the near future one of this 
country's greatest resources. Ever since Alaska was discovered 
the Indians have shown much native copper, and mountains of 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 55 

this ore are said to exist in the Copper river region. This region 
is so little known, however, that much time must elapse before it 
will become accessible. The deposits on the Yukon and its tribu- 
taries must soon draw capital in their direction. 

IRON AND COAL. 

Vast beds of iron and coal are known to exist in many parts of 
Alaska. Especiall^^ is this true of the Yukon, and when the 
various modes of travel shall demand cheap fuel, then another of 
the Yukon's resources will come to the front. 

PLATINUM. 

Platinum is found in nearly all the Yukon country in associa- 
tion with gold, and it may some day prove a rich field for this 
metal. 

GAME. — MOOSE. 

That the Yukon basin is a fine game country, all who have vis- 
ited it admit. The upper country abounds in moose, bear, cari- 
bou and much smaller game. White river is reported by the 
Indians to be a great moose country, the moose there growing to 
a greater size than in any other part of the American continent. 
When fat its flesh is always tender and palatable. This is prob- 
ably due to the rapid growth and tenderness of all vegetation. In 
summer some of the moose of that region have a wonderful spread 
of horns and reach a weight of 1,500 pounds. It is one of the 
principal sources of food for the Indians who find little trouble in 
killing them at all seasons of the year. The moose, owing to its 
great size and strength, can procure food despite the deep snows 
and severe cold. They are not dainty, and will eat almost any- 
thing, so that they are fat even in early spring. The skins are 
coarse and brown when tanned, and are used by the Indians for 
gloves, moccasins and clothing and even for their lodges. The 
moose, unlike other ruminants, is a fighter and the female, single- 
handed, will protect her young from a whole pack of wolves, 
and the bull in the fall is an ugly customer even for the hunter to 
tackle. 

CARIBOU. 

The woodland caribou is found throughout the lake and upper 
river country. It averages nearly twice the size of the barren 



56 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

land caribou or reindeer and its habits are also quite different. 
It never migrates toward the north in summer, but travels directly 
the opposite way. The caribou here have great powers of endur- 
ance and can trot at a gait equal to that of the best horse. In 
deep snow it is almost useless to pursue them, their wide flat 
hoofs and the manner in which they spread them, enabling them 
to keep quite on top of the snow. The)'^ are much more strongly 
built than the barren land caribou and the horns are much stronger 
and rounder. This species is almost untamable and shows no in- 
clination to work like their cousins in the Bald hills. 

BARREN LAND CARIBOU OR ARTIC REINDEER. 

This animal, altogether different from the woodland caribou, 
occupies the Bald hills near the Acrtic circle where food is so 
scarce that it is constantl)' on the move, having to migrate to the 
south in winter. In the severest winters its range is many hun- 
dred miles in that direction. While it and the woodland caribou 
were originally of one species, its mode of living differs so 
widely from its cousin that its habits and appearance have 
changed until it can no longer be considered a very near relative 
to the noble monarch of the woods, that leads a life of perfect idle- 
ness and plent}^ in the rich pine-clad lands to the south. It is not 
to be wondered that with their decrease in size their manner and 
temper have also changed, and that, with a little coaxing, they 
readily become beasts of burden. When the time conies for the 
dogs to give wa}^ to their more favored successors, ev^erybod}- in 
this great country will rejoice. The past five winters about Forty- 
Mile creek have been unusually severe and great herds have 
ranged further south than usual. It is estimated that no less 
than five thousand were killed last year in this vicinity. The 
herds are reported to number hundreds of thousands. Their 
horns, which are counted by the hundreds on the Bald hills, are 
more slender and have a much greater spread than the woodland 
caribou, thus causing them little difficulty in ranging the sparsely 
wooded country. All are provided with the snow shovel, reaching 
quite down to the point of the nose, to assist them in procuring 
the reindeer moss and lichens in the country they inhabit. This 
is undoubtedly the reason why the female, as well as the male, is 
provided with antlers. The endurance of these animals, if not 
over estimated, is wonderful, and the ease with which they make 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON o? 

long journeys through deep snow or over the soggy moss of this 
country would well fit them for the sleigh or freighter. 

UKAR. 

There are many species of bear in Alaska, and probably the St. 
Elias grizzly attains a greater size than any other bear in the 
world. If he is not a fighter, he is surely not a coward. This 
bear is found in the St. Elias Alps and many of the ranges of 
Alaska, but is more common in the high ranges of mountains east 
of the Yukon river, below Sixty-Mile creek. On the Klondyke 
river they are so numerous as to prevent the Indians from hunting 
there when fish are plenty. This bear, like the whole bear fam- 
ily, is a great fish eater. It is during the fish season only that 
this bear leaves its haunts in the high mountains for the lowlands. 
It likes variety and is more of a meat eater than its less dignified 
brother, the common or brown bear. Several men who have come 
in contact with this bear remember it to the extent of a leg or arm, 
and even think themselves lucky to escape with their lives. Some 
of the skins of this bear are enormous in size, and one skull I- ex- 
amined was beyond comparison with anything in the bear line I 
have ever seen. This St. Elias grizzly when young looks almost 
white at a distance. It stands higher than other bear and is wary, 
even in this remote region, beyond any animal I have ever hunted. 
On the other hand, the brown and black bear of this region are 
easily approached, and especially when nosing along the banks of 
streams searching for food. In one case we actually ran our boat 
within thirty feet of one on a clear morning, while our portable 
stove was yet burning, having cooked breakfast in the boat. 

MOUNTAIN GOAT. 

This animal, while probably smaller than the Rocky mountain 
goat further south, is identical. Its weight will average, perhaps, 
one hundred pounds, and both sexes have horns. Its home is on 
the cloud-swept peaks, surrounded by Nature's solitudes, and it 
seems most content in its gloomy surroundings, when the thunder- 
bolt goes crashing down the rugged sides of the canyon, or where 
the steeps are swept by the mighty avalanche. Its coat is well 
adapted to its rugged home. Under the long outer hair a fleecy 
wool protects it in its wonderful leaps from rock to rock. Its legs 
are straight and stiff and its horns are black. The pelt makes 
fine robes and is much prized by the Indians. 



58 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

MOUNTAIN SHEEP. 

This animal is found throughout Alaska, being more numerous 
in the Coast range of mountains than in the interior. It attains 
a much larger size than the goat, and a ram may often be found 
weighing three hundred pounds. It is among the wariest of all 
hoofed game of the American continent. It is hardly w^orth the 
time and trouble that is usually consumed in securing it. Its coat 
is of light gray color and some hunters claim a great delicacy for 
its flesh. 

.LYNX. 

The North American lynx is abundant throughout the upper 
river and lake country. It probably attains a larger size there 
than in any other part of the continent. It is easily trapped and 
any rifle kills it readil}'. Although large and strong, its tenacit}^ 
of life is far below all other species of the cat family. The pelt is 
finely furred and makes excellent robes. Its principal food is the 
rabbit, which abounds throughout that country. Its legs and feet 
are large and powerful and well covered with hair, giving it 
rather a clum.sy appearance which is turning to one of ludicrous- 
ness when frightened. At such times the short, stubbed tail stands 
erect, the back is arched, and with whiskers standing straight out 
it makes ofi" by a succession of spasmodic jumps in a way that 
often totally disconcerts even the old hunter. 

WOLVEvS. 

Alaska, like all of North America, is more or less inhabitated 
by wolves. The gray timber wolf of average size is found there. 
It is so wary as to be seldom seen by man. It has all the cunning 
of the fox and like all varieties is a coward, except when found in 
great numbers. In the interior they are numerous. In parts of 
the Coast country they exist in such numbers that no deer are 
found on the main land along the whole coast, although the is- 
lands are exceedingly well stocked with them. 

WOLVERINE. 

This animal is probably more plentiful throughout the upper 
river and lake sections than any other part of the world. Its 
peculiar habits and singular appearance are little known even to 
most naturalists. I cannot recall ever having seen it in captivity. 
The body is heavy and covered with long hair and fur much 



GIUDE TO THK YUKON 59 

prized by the Indians as trimming for their winter garments. Its 
legs, although short, do not prevent it from making long jour- 
neys through deep snow. As there is scarcely any limit to its food 
capacity, it is continually on the move, yet so wary and careful 
that it is seldom seen. 

FISH. 

While the salmon is by far the m.ost important fish of the Yu- 
kon there are many varieties of fine fish, the ever cold water keep- 
ing their flesh hard and palatable at all seasons of the year. 
Probably next to the salmon in importance comes the white fish, 
of which there are several varieties, some reaching a good size. 
They are found throughout almost the entire river basin. 

Lake trout of a good size are found everywhere in the lake 
country. A species of fish known to the miner as lake cod, is 
also found in the lakes. It seems to be a cross between the sal- 
mon and white fish, having characteristics of each. It is of good 
size and rises readily to a troll. Throughout the summer months 
landlock salmon, similar to those of Maine and Canada, abound 
in the lakes. Grayling or arctic trout is found in the rivers. It 
rises readily to a fly, the small black being the best. A small 
piece of black thread fastened around the hook will answer the 
purpose. They frequent the mouths of small streams and falls 
and are found in great numbers about the canyons and White 
Horse rapids. Pike are numerous about the lower river, while 
the sucker is found everywhere. Miners provided with gill nets 
need have no fear of starving. Along the river anywhere in the 
summer and fall by such means they could readily lay in a sup- 
ply sufficient to last throughout the winter. 



DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN THE YUKON BASIN. 

There seems to be no definite authority as to when and where 
gold was first discovered in the Yukon basin. No two miners 
agree on this subject. Gold is reported to have been found by 
the Hudson Bay Company's men early in the sixties. George 
Holt is credited by Dawson as probably the first white man to 
cross the Coast range for the purpose of prospecting. The date 
of Holt's journey is given as 1878 and whether he followed the 
trail over the Chilkoot or White pass is not certain. He de- 



60 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

scended the lakes to Lake Marsh then followed the Indian trail to 
the Hootalinqua, returning by the same route in the fall. The 
Coast Pilot gives the date of Holt's journe)' as 1872 or 1874. On 
his return he reported having found coarse gold near or on the 
Hootalinqua river and while no coarse gold has since been found 
in that locality the bars of that river have yielded much flour 
gold. This lends some color to Holt's story which may yet be 
confirmed. In 1880 a prospecting party was organized at Sitka 
under the leadership of Edward Bean. They established friendly 
relations with the Chilkats and Chilkoots and were permitted to 
cross the range by way of Chilkoot pass to Lake Lindeman, 
where they built boats and descended the Lewis as far as the Hoot- 
alinqua. The party numbered about twenty-five, one of whom 
informed Dawson that gold was found in a small stream fifteen 
miles above the canyon the diggings yielding $2.50 per day. The 
same year Slim Jim, now residing at Juneau, and John Macken- 
zie crossed the Chilkoot pass and probably other parties followed 
within the year. According to the Coast Pilot a party of four mim- 
ers crossed the range in 188 1 and descended the Lewis as far as 
Big Salmon river, which they ascended for some 200 miles, finding 
gold on all of its bars some of which paid well. This find may 
be characterized as the first gold discovered in paying quantities 
in the Yukon basin. 

In 1884 and 1885 some mining was done on the Pelly and 
Hootalinqua rivers. vSome miners reached the Stewart in the 
spring of 1886 and Ca.ssiar bar was also located the same year and 
actively worked during the season. This was the richest bar ever 
located on the Yukon or any of its tributaries yielding manj^ 
thousands of dollars. Late in the autumn of the same year coarse 
gold was discovered on Forty Mile creek. The announcement of 
this discovery drew off all the miners from the upper river country. 
In 1887 a miner named Williams perished on the summit of Chil- 
koot pass in trying to bring out the news. The bars of Fortj^ 
Mile creek were worked for a few years at good profit, but .since 
the discovery of coarse gold in the gulches the}'- have been aban- 
doned. It may be truly said that raining in this country is only 
begun and that only a few of the most accessible streams have 
even been prospected. All the larger rivers of the upper country 
furnish flour gold which increases in coarseness as the rivers are 
ascended. Thus it is clear that the surrounding gulches in many 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 61 

places must furnish exceedinj^ly rich diggings. The territory cut 
by these streams is almost unlimited. One hundred thousand 
men could prospect the Yukon basin and l)e lost to one another. 
The greatest drawback is the limit of supplies. This will be over- 
come in the near future as the companies there at present are 
wideawake to the needs and possibilities of the country. I can 
see only a bright future for the entire Yukon basin as a mining 
country, not only in the auriferous deposits but in the vast leads 
of quartz found throughout the entire region. 



SOURCE OF THE YUKON. 

Much controversy from time to time has been indulged in as to 
the true source of the Yukon, and as to its name. The name 
Pelly W'as given to the whole river down to the Porcupine by early 
explorers, while the name Yukon was first applied in 1846 b}- Mr. 
J. Bell of the Hudson Bay Company. He reached the main 
river by descending the Porcupine from the Mackenzie, and called 
it by its Indian name. R. Campbell, an officer of the Hudson 
Bay Company, also descended the Pelly as far as the Porcupine, 
and named the Lewis, Stewart and White rivers. But not until 
the publishing of the Coast survey map of 1869 did the river be- 
come generall}' known as the Yukon as far up as the Pelly. 
Schwatka, who afterwards made an official exploration of the 
river, changed every name, never offering the pretext of an excuse. 
Thus the nomenclature of the Yukon and its tributaries became 
further confused. Schwatka applied the name Yukon to the 
Lewis, giving Lake Lindenian as its true source. There was 
some justification for this inasmuch as the Lewis carries the 
greater volume of water. Lake Lindeman and its connections, it 
would seem, are much smaller and shorter than the Toko Arm 
and its connections. Thus while the Lewis carries the larger vol- 
ume of water, it is far shorter and drains a smaller country than 
either the Hootalinqua or the Pelly. The Lewis, draining as it 
does the Coast range with its perpetual snow and glaciers, main- 
tains its volume of water long after the Hootalinqua and Pelly 
have reached their lowest summer level. Yet the Pelly is by far 
the longer river and enough is known of the Hootalinqua to prove 
it much longer than the Lewis. Those rivers drain a compara- 



02 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

tively dry country, the snowfall being light and the rainfall even 
lighter, therefore the true source of the Yukon yet remains to be 
definitely settled. 

CLIMATE. 

The climate in the lake region and down to old Fort Yukon is 
although cold in winter and warm in summer, very agreeable. 
The snow in the upper river country never exceeds three or four 
feet, often hardly- two. In summer little rain falls except during 
an occasional thunder storm. The summer season is truly one 
long dream of sunshine, due to the protection of the high Coast 
range which precipitates the ever present humidity of the coast, 
leaving the interior dry. The general direction of the winds is 
inland in summer and directly opposite in winter. This is cau.sed 
by the rising of the hot air of the interior in summer and in win- 
ter by the existence of a persistent north wind which easily forces 
the coast breezes seaward. The winters, while cold, are so devoid 
of humidity that the cold is easily endured and one suffers less 
when the thermometer registers forty below than on the coast at 
zero. 

WINTER CLOTHES. 

Most of the miners adopt the native custom and dress, to a cer- 
tain extent. The boots are of several varieties, most of which are 
made by the coast Indians. The water boot is made of seal and 
walrus skins, while the dry weather or winter boot is made in an 
endless variety of styles, some having fur-trimmed legs elaborately 
designed, giving them a pleasing appearance. They wear well 
and range in price from two to five dollars per pair. Trousers are 
often made of Siberian fawn skin and the skin of the marmot or 
ground squirrel. The upper garment, called d. parka, is usually 
made of marmot skins and trimmed \\\W\ wolverine around the 
hood and lower edge, the long hair taken from the sides of the 
wolverine being used for the hood. This hair is sometimes five 
or six inches in length, thereby protecting the face of the person 
wearing the hood. Wolverine skins are prized very highly on the 
coast of Behring sea, and as that animal does not inhabit the coast, 
the skins are bought by the traders in the lake country and sold 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 63 

to the inhabitants of the coast. In some instances they are 
bought in San Francisco and taken up to this fur-bearing countrj' 
for trade. The women's /!>ar^'« differs sHghtly from that worn b}^ 
the men, being cut up at the sides some ten inches and rounded 
at the bottom like a skirt. Some of these come all the way from 
Siberia, and are works of art. Some are made of fawn skins and 
trimmed with the fur of the white wolf. The inside is beautifull}' 
embroidered with colored silks and ornamented with otter's fur 
and dyed feathers. Some of these parkas cost as high as one hun- 
dred dollars. Good, warm flannels can be worn under these and 
the whole outfit will weigh less than the ordinary clothes worn in 
a countr}- where the weather gets down to zero. They have an 
attractive an unique appearance, and are rather enjoyed after once 
worn. They are almost cold proof. For bedding the best blank- 
ets to be obtained are u.sed; also fur robes, those made of lynxs' 
skins being about the best, considering price and wear. A good 
lynx robe sells for one hundred dollars. Bear, mink and red fox 
robes are also used. The arctic hare makes cheap and nice robes, 
as well as socks to be worn with the .skin boots. 



NEW DISCOVERY AT COOK INLET. 

Cook Inlet has been prospected for many years, but with little 
success, although flour gold is found all along the coast. This 
washes in with a fine magnetic sand, and although worked for 
some time in the short summer only small wages have been made. 
One surface claim, after running a ditch some distance for water, 
was worked with some success. This was on the east coast of the 
inlet. Another claim, located on the Turnagain Arm, has been 
worked for some time with better results, as high as ten dollars per 
day being made. This attracted some attention, and in the spring 
of 1894 twenty men went to that localit5^ New diggings were 
located that, according to report, are quite rich, as high as twent}- 
dollars per day being made. The gold is of a coarse character, 
and is located over the ridge from Turnagain Arm on the small 
creek that enters near its mouth. Bedrock lies near the surface, 
and the creeks are said to have a good grade. Nuggets weighing 
upwards of one ounce were found, and the men from whom I 
learned the above seemed very sanguine over the prospects, and 



64 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

expected to return this spring with provisions for a long stay. 
To test them, I tried to imbue them with the Yukon excitement 
b}- telling them of the numerous new and rich finds in that coun- 
try, but they would not think of leaving their prospects. 



THE YUKON RIVER. 

What the Amazon is to South America, the Mississippi to the 
central portion of the United States, the Yukon is to Alaska. It 
is a great inland highway, which makes it possible for the explorer 
to penetrate that unknown country where heat and cold for ages 
have contended for the mastery, to reveal to the world the treas- 
ures so long held secret in that ice-vaulted region. A wonderful 
story will be unfolded as the mysteries are brought to light; but 
the revelation of the wonders therein contained will of necessity 
be made verj^ slowly, for the reason that the only key to this 
frozen, rock-ribbed region is carried by the king of day in his tri- 
umphant march through the skies, and he permits the use of it 
for only a brief period during the summer of eight to ten weeks. 
But were it not for this great artery, the Yukon river, which goes 
pulsating for 2,600 miles through the northwest, bidding defiance 
to the frost king, with his rivers of ice and mountains of snow, 
the world would remain in ignorance of the untold wealth of the 
interior of Alaska. 

The Yukon has its source in the Rocky mountains of British 
Columbia and the Coast Range mountains in southeastern Alaska, 
about 125 miles from the city of Juneau. This branch of the Yu- 
"kon, which is known as the Lewis river for 357 miles, the writer 
has fully explored, and a description of the same is given in the 
preceding pages of this book. The branch that heads in British 
Columbia is known as the Pelly river and is 600 miles in length. 
These two branches unite and are then known as the Yukon. At 
the confluence of the Lewis and VoWy rivers is located Fort Sel- 
kirk. The Yukon proper is 2,044 niiles in length and is navigable 
the entire distance for flat-bottom boats with a carrying capacity 
of from four to five hundred tons. From Fort Selkirk the Yukon 
flows northwest 400 miles, touching the Arctic circle; thence south- 
west for a distance of 1,600 miles, where it empties into Behring 
sea. It drains more than 600,000 square miles of territory and 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 65 

discharges one-third more water into Behring sea than does the 
Mississippi into the Gulf of Mexico. It is sixty miles wide at its 
month and very shallow, which prevents its navigation by sea- 
going vessels. Fifteen hundred miles inland the river widens out 
from one to ten miles and a thousand islands send the channel in 
as many different directions, and onl}' natives who are thoroughly 
familiar with the river are entrusted to pilot boats up the stream 
during the season of low water. 

Unlike the Amazon or Mississippi, with their borders of low- 
lands, receding hills and flat, swampy districts, the Yukon has 
sawed mountain chains vertically in twain and forced its way 
through granite walls, which have been chiseled into all sorts of 
fantastic forms by the glaciers of long ago. An unending pano- 
rama of grandeur greets the eye of the traveler in the months of 
June, July and August, as he is borne along on the current of this 
mighty stream, which is onl}^ second in size to the largest river of 
the world. Its banks are fringed with flowers, carpeted with the 
all-prevailing moss or tundra; birds innumerable sing out a wel- 
come from every tree top, and pitch your tent where you will in 
midsummer, a bed of roses, a clump of poppies and a bunch of 
bluebells will adorn your camping place. One realizes that he is 
in a land of paradoxes. He wdll see a giant glacier sleeping on 
top the mountain wall, along beside which he will see in bloom 
flowers of almost endless variet)'. About September 25th the 
scene of beauty is suddenly changed, when Winter King advances, 
sending the alcoholic column eighty degrees below zero, the birds 
to the southland, the white man to his cabin, the Indian to his 
hut and the bear to his sleeping chamber in the mountains. 
Every stream becomes a river of ice, every hill a mountain of 
snow, and the valleys of beautiful flow'ers are changed into a scene 
of eternal whiteness. 



INDIANS ALONG THE YUKON. 

In making a journey into the interior of Alaska and down the 
Yukon river, one comes in contact with ten different tribes, or 
remnants of tribes, of Indians. The Chilkats, who live in the 
country immediately surrounding Eyun canal, are the largest and 
most powerful tribe of all. They number only 1,000 and are 



66 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

diminishing rapidly every year because of the civiHzing (?) influ- 
ence of strong drink and its attendant vices, which the whites 
have introduced among them. Thej- are avaricious, shrewd and 
tricky, always a match for the white trader in driving a bargain. 
Thej'^ will subject themselves to the most excruciating labor and 
hardships for days and weeks for a few dollars in silver. They 
will make long journeys across the mountains into the interior 
with heavy loads upon their backs, climb the mountain steeps, 
struggle across great glaciers, wade icy streams, and, in a thinl}' 
clad, half-starved condition, endure privations from which, to the 
tourist, it would seem death would be a welcome relief. 

All the tribes of the upper Yukon bear a close resem])lance to 
each other in form and features, which are not unlike the Shvash 
Indian of Puget Sound. The "Sticks" are probably the most 
stalwart of an}'. They lay claim to the distinction of being " all 
same as Boston man." I thought, however, that I could see some 
slight chance for improvement, but not being a resident of the Hub 
I had no quarrel with them on that score. 

Until recent years the natives of the Yukon have had to depend 
entirely upon game and fish for food and for this reason man}' of 
the tibes have no permanent abiding place but follow the game 
from one section of the country to another. The}- are good hunt- 
ers and show great skill in the management of their birch bark 
canoes in the swift waters and rapids of the mountain streams. 
All the Indians of the upper river dress in the garb of civilization. 
Traders bring large quantities of food and clothing up the river, 
thus affording an opportunity for the natives to exchange their 
furs and dried fish for the necessaries of life, which, to an average 
Indian means plenty of tobacco, a little fire-water, a gun and 
ammunition. There are three or four missions along the river and 
as a rule the missionaries are well received. Rev. Mr. and Mrs. 
Bunipus have had charge of the mission at Forty Mile Post for 
the past three years. There are 200 communicants at this place 
who attend all the services of the sanctuary as religiously and regu- 
larly as they light their pipes after a hearty repast on moose meat 
and dried fish. 

The Indians make themselves useful in many ways about the 
trading posts — sawing lumber, building low cabins, unloading 
steamers, acting as guides to miners while crossing the country, 



(iUIDK TO THE YUKON G7 

packing provisions into the miners during the summer and haul- 
ing supplies on dogs sledges during the winter. 

Further down the river the Indians are not so thrift}'. Their 
principal diet is fish, seal oil and berries. Their hovels are about 
ten feet square on the ground and have a slanting roof. About 
four feet above the ground poles are placed across serving as ioists. 
The space above the poles is utilized for storing away dried fish, 
game, seal skins filled with berries preserved in oil, which are a 
great luxury among the natives. The space below the poles, 
which is only high enough for the inmates to sit tailor-like fash- 
ion with head and shoulders bent forward, is used for cooking, 
eating, sleeping, cleaning fish and game of all sorts. They are 
devoid of all sense of cleanliness and take no santary precaution 
whatever to ward off disease. In one village where we stopped to 
take on wood we found the dead bodies of three men almost en- 
tirely exposed with scarcely any dirt upon them excepting that 
which they had accumulated during their natural lifetime in the 
absence of applied soap and water. A more filthy, degraded, 
loathsome set of creatures it would be hard to find. 

The mortality of these tribes is very great and within a few 
short years they will be creatures of the past and their graveyards 
will furnish an interesting field for relic hunters, and their bones 
along with those of the mammoth, giant buflFalo, and ichthyosau- 
rus, will adorne the museums of the world while their spirits con- 
tinue the chase in the " happy hunting ground " beyond. 



PURCHASE OF ALASKA. 

This little volume upon Alaska would be incomplete without a 
summary of the history of its purchase and a statement of its area 
and extent. 

Czar Nicholas offered to give Russian America to the United 
States in 1844 and 45, during Polk's administration, provided our 
government would pay the cost of transfer and maintain the boun- 
darj^ line at 45° 40'. In 1854 it was offered to the United States 
and again in 1859, when $5,000,000 were refused. It seemed to 
be the desire of the Czar to place it beyond the power of England's 
acquiring it in case of war with that country. During the war of 
the Rebellion, our government greatly appreciated the moral 



68 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

support given us by the Czar of Russia in sending fleets to the 
harbor of San Francisco and New York at a time when France 
and England were on the point of recognizing the government of 
the Confederate States. Hearing of the desire of the Czar to sell 
his possessions in America, and appeciating their great value, 
Secretary of State Wm. H. Seward felt that its purchase would 
serve a double purpose; it would please the Czar and secure to the 
United States a valuable territory. Accordingly negotiations were 
opened in February, 1867. A treat)^ of purchase was sent to the 
senate March 30, 1867, reported April 9, ratified May 28, and pro- 
claimed by the president June 20 of the same year. Charles Sum- 
ner suggested Alaska, the name given to Captain Cook by the 
natives. The price paid was $7,200,000, less than half a cent an 
acre. It has proved a profitable investment from the date of pur- 
chase, yielding a net profit of 8 per cent, for the first five years 
upon the price paid. The salmon industrj^ jaelded $7,500,000 in 
the six years from 1884 to 1890. The Treadwell mine alone has 
added more than the purchase price to the wealth of the world. 

AREA AND EXTENT. 

Alaska proper contains an area of 580, 107 square miles; the 
islands of Alexander archipelago 31,205 square miles, and the 
Aleutian islands 6,391 square miles. It has an extent of over 
1,000 miles from north to south, and the island of Attn, of the 
Aleutian group, is 2,000 miles west of Sitka. The longitude of 
Attn is as many degrees west of San Francisco as Eastport, Maine, 
is degrees east. The sun never goes down upon the domain of 
the United States. 

JUNEAU. 

Juneau, the metropolis of Alaska, is the outfitting point, not 
onl}^ for the great muiing district of southeastern Alaska, but for 
miners on their way to the Yukon gold fields. The past year has 
witnessed a great improvement in the town and Juneau to-day has 
the appearance of a progressive city with fine buildings, substan- 
tial wharves, electric lights, water works, hotels, numerous retail 
and wholesale outfitting establishments. It is the headquar- 



mmrr"^ 




GUIDE TO THE YUKON 69 

ters of several steamboat lines. The cit}- hall and courthouse 
stand guard over all on the crest of a high mound seemingly 
formed for the purpose. From the deck of incoming steamers up 
Gastineau Channel the view is a pleasing one, the fownsite alone 
being open to criticism, it having undoubtedly been formed by 
slides from the high mountains which surround it. It has a de- 
cided Alpine appearance. The adjacent mountains retain some 
snow nearly or quite the whole j^ear and the avalanches 
that tear down their rugged sides in spring form a spectacle 
that well repays a visit to this enterprising town. I spent 
some time trying to photograph one of those slides but was 
unsuccessful. They occur daity, and at night their rumb- 
lings will often awaken one from a sound sleep with the im- 
pression that an earthquake is shaking the foundation of the 
city. Cold but not slumbering glaciers occupy parts of this 
range, one running almost parallel with it, meeting the ocean at 
Taku Inlet. So lively does it move oceanward that at times the 
waters adjacent to Juneau are filled with floating bergs to such an 
f^xtent as to cause the greatest watchfulness on the part of nav- 
igators. Although the pass through which the Taku glacier 
emerges is some twenty miles from Juneau, I have seen bergs as 
large as a business block floating near the wharves. The lover of 
the alpenstock can here find real glaciers and mountains which he 
could ascend unaided to heights sufficient to break his neck with- 
out the assistance of accomplished and expensive guides. 

Juneau is the immediate center of an extensive and active min- 
ing district. It was founded in the winter of 1 880-81, gold hav- 
ing been discovered August 15, 1880, by Joseph Juneau and Rich- 
ard Harris. The town was first known as Harrisburg; later as 
Rockwell; but at a miners' meeting in November, 1881, it was 
wisely and justly re-christened Juneau in honor of Joseph Juneau. 
The hills and streams proved so rich in gold that miners from 
many parts of Alaska and British Columbia hastened to this re- 
gion, and within the j^ear Juneau became a flourishing and typical 
mining town with that uneasy, venturesome spirit of gambling 
prevalent that would have excited the admiration of a forty-niner. 
Since then it has become the commercial center of Alaska. Cap- 
ital has developed many mines in its vicinity and the past year 
has brought more money there than ever before. The coming 
year will undoubtedly mark an epoch in the history of mining in 



70 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

southern Alaska. The business men are shrewd and active and 
keep abreast of the times. Juneau .supports three weeklj^ papers, 
all bright, newsy sheets that would be a credit to any city having 
the advantages of wire and train connections with the rest of the 
world. They are always well filled with mining and general news 
concerning Ala.ska. 



DOUGLASS ISLAND. 

Upon Douglass island, two miles from Juneau and connected 
with it by ferry, the famous Treadwell gold mine is located. It 
has the largest quartz mill in the world. The ore of this mine is 
of a low grade but free-milling, the average yield per ton being 
$3.40; yet the net profits for the year ending May 15, 1894, 
amounted to $420,948.86. 

The Mexican mine, some half mile below the Treadwell, bids 
fair to become quite as famous. The new mill just completed on 
this property is of latest design, and reflects great credit upon the 
superintendent, Mr. Robert J. Duncan, Jr. Mr. Duncan is also 
superintendent of the Treadwell. The ore of the Mexican is of a 
higher grade than that of the Treadwell. 

DAWSON CITY. 

Dawson City is at the junction of the Klondyke river and the 
Yukon, The new gold finds lie up the Klondyke river from two 
to fifty miles, and the recent reports are that there is very little 
of the ground up this river that does not have the gold-bearing 
strata. Dawson City is now, and probably will be, the head of 
.steamboat navigation on the Yukon. 

GOLD DUST. 

Gold dust and nuggets are the principal mediums of exchange 
throughout the Yukon basin, but little money being in circulation. 
Everybody carries gold-scales, and .so adept does one become in a 
short time that it takes but little longer to make change than 
with coin. If a haircut is needed, the gold dust is weighed out — 



MINING REGULATIONS OF THE YUKON. 



Following are the Regulations governing placer mining along the 
Yukon river and its tributaries in the Northwest Territories, fixed by a 
recent order-in-council of the Dominion government: 

INTERPRETATION. 

" Bar diggings" shall mean an\' part of a river over which the water 
extends when the water is in its flooded state and which is not covered at 
low water. 

Mines on benches shall be known as " bench diggings," and shall, for 
the purpose of defining the size of such claims, be excepted from dry dig- 
gings. 

" Dry diggings " shall mean any mine over which a river never extends. 

" Miner" shall mean a male or female over the age of eighteen, but 
not under that age. 

"Claim " shall mean the personal right of property in a placer mine or 
diggings during the time for which the grant of such mine or diggings is 
made. 

"Legal post " shall mean a stake standing not less than four feet above, 
the ground and squared on four sides for at least one foot from the top. 
The sides so squared shall measure at least four inches across the face. It 
shall also mean any stump or tree cut off or squared or faced to the above 
height and size. 

" Close season " shall mean the period of the year during which placer 
mining is generally suspended. The period to be fixed by the gold com- 
missioner in whose district the claim is situated. 

"Locality " shall mean the territory along a river ( tributary of the Yu- 
kon river ) and its affluents. 

" Mineral" shall include all minerals whatsoever other than coal. 

NATURE AND SIZE OF CLAIMS. 

1. " Bar diggings," a strip of land loo feet wide at high water mark 
and thence extending into the river to its lowest water level. 

2. The sides of a claim for bar digging shall be two parallel lines run 
as nearly as possible at right angles to the stream, and shall be marked by 
four legal posts, one at each end of the claim at or about the edge of the 
water. One of the posts at high water mark shall be legally marked with 
the name of the miner and the date upon which the claim was staked, 

73 



74 GUIDE TO THE "YUKON 

3. Dry diggings shall be 100 feet square and shall have placed at each 
of its four corners a legal post, upon one of which shall be legally marked 
the name of the miner and the date upon which the claim was staked. 

4. Creek and river claims shall be 500 feet long, measured in the di- 
rection of the general course of the stream, and shall extend in width from 
base to base of the hill or bench on each side, but when the hills or benches 
are less than 100 feet apart the claim may be 100 feet in depth. The sides 
of the claim shall be two parallel lines run as nearly as possible at right 
angles to the stream. The sides shall be marked with legal posts at or 
about the edge of the water and at the rear boundaries of the claim. One 
ot the legal posts at the stream shall be legibly marked with the name of 
the miner and the date upon which the claim was staked. 

5. Bench claims shall be 100 feet square. 

6. In defining the size of claims they shall be measured horizontally, 
irrespective of inequalities on the surface of the ground. 

7. If any person or persons shall discover a new mine and sucH dis- 
covery shall be established to the satisfaction of the gold commissioner, a 
claim for bar diggings 750 feet in length may be granted. 

A new statum of auriferous earth or gravel situated in a locality where 
the claims are abandoned shall for this purpose be deemed a new mine, 
although the same locality shall have been previously worked at a different 
level. 

8. The forms of application for a grant for placer mining and the 
grant of the same shall be those contained in forms " H " and " I " in the 
schedule hereto. 

9. A claim shall be recorded with the gold commissioner in whose 
district it is situated within three days after the location thereof, if it is 
located within ten miles of the commissioner's office. One extra day shall 
be allowed for making such record for every ten miles or fraction thereof. 

10. In the event of the absence of the gold commissioner from his 
office, entry by a claim may be granted by any person whom he may 
appoint to perform his duties in his absence. 

11. Entry shall not be granted for a claim which has not been staked 
by the applicant in person in the manner specified in these regulations. 
An affidavit that the claim was staked out by the applicant shall be em- 
bodied in form "H" of the schedule hereto. 

12. An entry fee of $15 shall be charged the first year, and an annual 
fee of $100 for each of the following years. This provision shall apply to 
locations for which entries have already been granted. 

13. After the recording of a claim the removal of any post by the 
holder thereof, or by any person acting in his behalf, lor the purpose of 
changing the boundaries of his claim, shall act as a forfeiture of the claim. 

14. The entry of every holder of a grant for placer mining must by 
renewed and his receipt relinquished and replaced every year, the entry 
fee being paid each time. 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 75 

15. No miner shall receive a grant of more than one mining claim in 
the same locality, but the same miner may hold any number of claims by 
purchase, and an 3' number of miners may unite to work their claims in 
common upon such terms as they may arrange, provided such agreement 
be registered with the gold commissioner and a fee of five dollars be paid 
for each registration. 

16. Any miner or miners may sell, mortgage or dispose of his or their 
claims, provided such disposal be registered with, and a fee of two dollars 
paid to the gold commissioner, who shall thereupon give the assignee a 
certificate in form " J " in the schedule hereto. 

17. Every miner shall, during the continuance of his grant, have the 
exclusive right of entry upon his own claim, for the miner-like working 
thereof, and the construction of a residence thereon, and shall be entitled 
exclusively to all the proceeds realized therefrom; but he shall have no 
surface rij^hts therein; and the gold commissioner may grant to the holders 
of adjacent claims such right of entry thereon as may be absolutely neces- 
sary for the working of their claims, upon such terms as may to him seem 
reasonable. He may also grant permits to miners to cut timber thereon 
for their own use, upon payment of the dues prescribed by the regulations 
in that behalf. 

18. Every miner shall be entitled to the use of so much of the water 
naturally flowing through or past his claim, and not alreadj' lawfully ap- 
propriated, as shall, in the opinion of the gold commissioner, be necessary 
for the due working thereof; and shall be entitled to drain his own claim 
free of charge. 

19. A claim shall be deemed to be abandoned and open to occupation 
and entry by any person when the same shall have remained unworked on 
working days by the grantee thereof or by some person on his behalf for 
the space of seventy-two hours, unless sickness or other reasonable cause 
be shown to the satisfaction of the gold commissioner, or unless the grantee 
is absent on leave given by the commissioner, and the gold commissioner 
upon obtaining evidence satisfactory to himself that this provision is not 
being complied with may cancel the entry given for a claim. 

20. If the land upon which a claim has been located is not the prop- 
ert}' of the crown it will be necessary for the person who applied for entry 
to furnish proof that he has acquired from the owner of the land the sur- 
face rights before entry can be granted. 

21. If the occupier of the lands has not received a patent therefor, the 
purchase money of the surface rights must be paid to the crown, and a 
patent of the surface rights will issue to the party who acquired the mining 
rights. The money so collected will either be refunded to the occupier of 
the land, when he is entitled to a patent therefor, or will be credited to him 
on account of payment for land, 

22. When the party obtaining the mining rights to lands cannot make 
an arrangement with the owner or his agent or the occupant thereof for the 
acquisition of his surface rights, it shall be lawful for him to give notice to 
the owner or his agent or the occupier to appoint an arbitrator to act with 



7fi GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

another arbitrator named by him, in order to award the amount of com- 
pensation to which the owner or occupant shall be entitled. The notice 
mentioned in this section shall be according to a form to be obtained upon 
application from the gold commissioner for the district in which the lands 
in question lie, and shall, when practicable, be personally' served on such 
owner, or his agent if known, or occupant; and after reasonable efforts 
have been made to effect personal service, without success, then such no- 
tice shall be served by leaving at, or sending by registered letter to, the last 
place of abode of the owner, agent or occupant. Such notice shall be 
served upon the owner or agent within a period to be fixed by the gold 
commissioner before the expiration of the time limited in such notice. If 
the proprietor refuses or declines to appoint an arbitrator, or when, for any 
other reason, no arbitrator is appointed by the proprietor in the time lim- 
ited therefor in the notice provided for by this section, the gold commis- 
sioner for the district in which the lands in question lie, shall, on being 
satisfied by affidavit that such notice has come to the knowledge of such 
owner, agent or occupant, or that such owner, agent or occupant wilfully 
evades the service of such notice, or cannot be found, and that reasonable 
efforts have been made to effect such service, and that the notice was left 
at the last place of abode of such owner, agent or occupant, appoint an ar- 
bitrator on his behalf. 

23. {a.) All the arbitrators appointed under the authority of these 
regulations shall be sworn before a justice of the peace to the impartial 
discharge of the duties assigned to them, and they shall forthwith proceed 
to estimate the reasonable damages which the owner or occupant of such 
lands, according to their several interests therein, shall sustain by reason 
of such prospecting and mining operations. 

(d.) In estimating such damages, the arbitrators shall determine the 
value of the land irrespectively of any enhancement therefrom from the 
existence of minerals therein, 

( r.) In case such arbitrators cannot agree, they may select a third ar- 
bitrator, and when the two arbitrators cannot agree upon a third arbitrator 
the gold commissioner for the district in which the lands in question lie 
shall select such third arbitrator. 

((/.) The award of any two such arbitrators made in writing shall be 
final, and shall be filed with the gold commissioner for the district in which 
the lands lie. 

In any cases arising for which no provision is made in these regulations, 
the provisions of the regulations governing the disposal of mineral lands 
other than coal lands, approved by his excellency the governor in council 
on the 9th of Novem])er, 1889, shall applj-. 



GUIDE TO THK YUKON 77 

Form H.—App/icafion for grant for Placer Mining and Affidavit of 
Applicant. 

I, [or we], of hereby apply under the Dominion 

Mining Regulations, for a grant of a claim for placer mining as defined in 
the said regulations, in [Here describe locality], 

and I [or we] solemnly swear: 

1. That I [or we] have discovered therein a deposit of [here name the 
metal or mineral], 

2. That I [or we] am [or are] to the best of my [or our] knowledge 
and belief, the first discoverer [or discoverers] of the said deposit; or 

3. That the said claim was previously granted to [here name the last 
grantee], but has remained unworked by the said grantee for not less than 

4. That I [or we] am [or are] unaware that the land is other than 
vacant Dominion land. 

5. That I [or we] did, on the day of mark out on the 
ground in accordance in every particular with the provisions of the mining 
regulations for the Yukon river and its tributaries, the claim for which I 
[or we] make this application, and that in so doing I [or we] make this 
application, and that in so doing 1 [or we] did not encroach on any other 
claim or mining location previously laid out by any other person. 

6. That the said claim contains, as nearly as I (or we) could measure 
or estimate, an area of square feet, and that the description (and 
sketch, if any), of this date hereto attached, signed by me (or us) sets (or 
set) forth in detail, to the best of my (or our) knowledge and ability, its 
position, form end dimensions. 

7. That I (or we) make this application in good faith, to acquire the 
claim for the sole purpose of mining, to be prosecuted by myself (or us) or 
by myself and associates, or by my (or our) assigns. 

Sworn before me at this day of 18 

(Signature). 



Form I. — Grant for Placer Mining. 
No. Department of the Interior. 

Agency, 18 

In consideration of the payment of five dollars, being the fee required 
by the provisions of the Dominion Mining Regulations, clauses four and 
twenty, by (A. B. ) of , accompanying his (or their) applica- 

tion No. dated 18 , for a mining claim in (here insert descrip- 

tion of locality). 

The Minister of the Interior hereby grants to the said (A. B.) , 

for the term of one year from the date hereof, the exclusive right of entry 
upon the claim (here describe in detail the claim granted) for the 

miner-like working thereof and the construction of a residence thereon, 
and the exclusive right to all the proceeds realized therefrom. 



78 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

The said (A. B. ) shall be entitled to the use of so much of 

the water naturally flowing through or past his (or their) claim, and not 
already lawfully appropriated, as shall be necessary for the due working 
thereof, and to drain his (or their) claim, free of charge. 

This grant does not convey to the said (A. B.) any surface rights 
in the said claim, or any right of ownership in the soil covered by the said 
claim; and the said grant shall lapse and be forfeited unless the claim is 
continuoush- and in good faith worked by the said (A. B.) or his (or 
their) associates. 

The rights hereby granted are those laid down in the aforesaid mining 
regulations, and no more, and are subject to all the provisions of said reg- 
ulations, whether the same are expressed herein or not. 

Gold Commissioner. 



Form J. — Certificate of the Assignment of a Placer Mining Claim. 
No. Department of the Interior, 

Agency, i8 

This is to certify that (B.C.) of has (or have) 

filed an assignment in due form dated i8 , and accompanied b}' a 

registration fee of two dollars, of the grant to (A. B.) of 

of the right to mine in (insert description of claim) 

for one year from the i8 

This certificate entitles the said (B. C.) to all the rights 

and privileges of the said (A. B.) in respect of the claim 

assigned, that is to say, to the exclusive right of entry upon the said claim 
for the miner-like working thereof and the construction of a residence 
thereon, and the exclusive right to all the proceeds realized therefrom, for 
the remaining portion of the year for which the said claim was granted to 
the said (A. B.) , that is to say, until the day of 

i8 

The said (B. C.) shall be entitled to the use of so much 

of the water naturally flowing through or past his (or their) claim and not 
already lawfully appropriated, as shall be necessary for the due working 
thereof, and to drain the claim free of charge. 

This grant does not convey to the said (B. C.) any surface 

rights in the said claim, or any right of ownership in the soil covered by 
the said claim; and the said grant shall lapse and be forfeited unless the 
claim is continuouslj^ and in good faith, worked by the said (B. C.) or 
his (or their) associates. 

The rights hereby granted are those laid down in the Dominion Mining 
Regulations, and no more, and are subject to all the provisions of the said 
regulations, whether the same are expressed herein or not. 

Gold Commissioner. 



EXTRACTS FROM MR. OGII.VIE'S REPORTS TO THE DOMINION 
GOVERNMENT. 



William Ogilvie, of the Department of the Interior, in his report to the 
vSurveyor-General of Canada, dated November 6th, 1896, says the name of 
Klondak, Klondj-ke, or Clondyke, as it is variously spelled, is "a mispro- 
nunciation of the Indian word or words Thron-dak or Duick, which means 
plenty of fish, from the fact that it is a famous salmon stream. It is 
marked Tondack on old maps. It joins the Yukon from the east a few 
miles above the site of Fort Reliance. 

Concerning the discovery of gold on this stream, he says : — The dis- 
covery. I believe, was due to the reports of Indians. A white man named 
G. W. Carmach, who worked with me in 1887, was the first to take advan- 
tage of the rumors and located a claim on the first branch, which was 
named by the miners Bonanza Creek. Carmach located here late in 
August, but had to cut some logs for the mill here to get a few pounds of 
provisions to enable him to begin work on his claim, the fishing at Klon- 
dak having totally failed him. He returned with a few week's provisions 
for himself, his wife and brother-in-law (Indians), and another Indian in 
the last days of August and immediately set about working his claim. As 
he was very short of appliances he could only put together a rather de- 
fective apparatus to wash the gravel with. The gravel itself he had to 
carry in a box on his back from 30 to 100 feet. Notwithstanding this the 
three men working very irregularly washed out $1,200 in eight days, and 
Carmach asserts with reason that had he had proper facilities it could have 
been done in two days, besides having several hundred dollars more gold, 
which was lost on the tailings through defective apparatus. On the same 
creek two men rocked out $75 in about two hours, and it is asserted that 
two -men in the same creek took out $4,008 in two days with only two 
lengths of sluice boxes. This last is doubted, but Mr. Leduc assures me he 
weighed that much gold for them, but is not positive where they got it. 
They were newcomers and had not done much in the country, so the prob- 
abilities are they got it on Bonanza Creek. A branch of Bonanza, named 
Eldorado, has prospected magnificently, and another branch named Tilly 
Creek has prospected well; in all there are some four or five branches to 
Bonanza Creek which have given good prospects. Th,ere are about 170 
claims staked on the main creek and the branches are good for about as 
many more, aggregating say 350 claims, which will require over 1,000 men 
to work properly. 

A few miles further up Bear Creek enters Klondyke, and it has been 
prospected and located on. Compared with Bonanza it is small and will 
not afford more than 20 or 30 claims, it is said. 

About 12 miles above the mouth of Gold Bottom Creek joins Klondyke 
and on it and a branch named Hunker Creek after the discovery very rich 

79 



80 GUIDE TO THE YUKON 

ground has been found. One man showed nie $22.75 he took out in a few 
hours on Hunker Creek, with a gold pan prospecting his claim on the sur- 
face, taking out a panful here and there as fancy suggested. On Gold Bot- 
tom Creek and branches there will probably be two or three hundred 
claims. The Indians have reported another creek much farther up, which 
they call Too Much Gold Creek, on which the gold is so plentiful that as 
the miners say in joke, '"You have to mix gravel with it to sluice it." Up 
to date nothing definite has been heard from this creek. 

From all this we may, I think, infer that we have here a district that 
will give 1,000 claim of 500 feet in length each. Now, 1,000 such claims 
will require at least 3,000 men to work them properly, and as wages for 
working in the mines are from $8 to $10 per day, without board, we have 
every reason to assume that this part of our territory will in a year or two 
contain 10,000 souls at least, for the news has gone out to the coast and an 
unprecedented influx is expected next spring. And this is not all, for a 
large creek called Indian creek joins the Yukon about midway between 
Klondyke and Stewart river, and all along this creek good pay has been 
found. All that has stood in the way of working it heretofore has been the 
scarcity of provisions and the difficulty of getting them up there even when 
here. Indian creek is quite a large stream, and it is probable it will yield 
500 or 600 claims. Farther south yet lies the head of several branches of 
Stewart river, on which some prospecting has been done this summer and 
good indications found, but the want of provisions prevented development. 
Now gold has been found in several of the streams adjoining Pell}' river, 
and also along the Hootalinqua. In the line of these finds further south is 
the Cassiar gold field in British Columbia, so that the presumption is that 
we have in our territory along the easterly watershed of the Yukon a gold 
bearing belt of indefinite width and upwards of three hundred miles long, 
exclusive of the British Columbia part of it. On the easterly side of the 
Y'ukon prospecting has been done on a creek a short distance above Selkirk 
with a fair amount of success, and on a large creek some 30 or 40 miles be- 
low Selkirk fair prospects have been found, but as before remarked the 
difficulty of getting supplies here prevents any extended prospecting. 

Dalton informed me he has found good prospects on a small creek 
nearly midway between the coast range and Selkirk on his route. His man 
showed nie some coarse gold, about a dollar's worth, he found on the head 
of a branch of the A.etsek river, near the head of Chilkat Inlet, which is of 
course inside the summit of the coast range and of course in our territory. 
From this you will gather that we have a very large area all more or less 
gold bearing and will all yet be worked. 

Good quartz has been found in place just across the line on Davis 
creek (see my map of the 41st sent you), but of what extent is unknown, as 
it is in the bed of the creek and covered with gravel. Good quartz is also 
reported on the hills around Bonanza creek, but of this I will be able to 
speak more fully after my proposed survey. It is pretty certain from in- 
formation I have got from prospectors, that all or nearly all of the north- 
erly branch of White river is on our side of the line, and copper is found on 
it, but more abundantly on the southerly branch of which a great deal of it 



GUIDE TO THE YUKON 81 

is in our territory also, so it is probable we have that metal too. I have 
seen here several lumps of native copper 1)rought by the natives from White 
river, but just from what part is uncertain. I have also seen a specimen of 
silver ore said to have been picked up in a creek flowing into Bennett Lake, 
about 14 miles down it on the east side. 

Before closing I may say that every report that comes in from Bonanza 
creek is more encouraging than the last. Prospecting has only begun, and 
up to the date of mailing, November 22d, very rich prospects have been 
found on the few claims prospected on. From one dollar to the pan of dirt 
up to $12 are reported and no bedrock found yet. This means from $1,000 
to |i 2,000 per day per man sluicing. The excitement is intense, but at this 
season of the year it is naturally very local. 

Writing on December 9, 1896, Mr. Ogilvie said: 

Since my last the prospects on Bonanza creek and tributaries are in- 
creasing in richness and extent, until now it is certain that millions will be 
taken out of the" district in the next few years. On some of the claims 
prospected the pay dirt is of great extent and very rich. One man told me 
yesterday that he washed out a single pan of dirt on one of the claims on 
Bonanza and found $14.25 in it. Of course that may be an exceptionally 
rich pan, but $5 to $7 per pan is the average on that claim, it is reported, 
with five feet pay dirt and the width yet undertermined, but is known to 
be thirty feet; even at that figure, the result at nine or ten pans to the 
cubic foot and five hundred feet long is nearly $4,000,000 at $5 per pan. 
One-fourth of this would be enormous. 

Another claim has been prospected to such an extent that it is known 
there is about five feet pay dirt, averaging $2 per pan, and not less than 
thirty feet. Enough prospecting has been done to show that there are at 
least fifteen miles of this extraordinary richness, and the indications are 
that we will have three or four times that extent, if not all equal to the 
above, at least very rich. 

On January 11, 1897, he wrote: 

The reports from the Klondyke region are still very encouraging; so 
much so that all the other creeks around are practically abandoned, especi- 
ally those on the head of Forty-Mile, in American territory, and nearly one 
hundred men have made their way up from Circle City, hauling their sleds 
themselves many of them. Those who cannot get their claims are buying 
in on those already located. Men cannot be got to work for love or money, 
and development is consequently slow. One and a half dollars per hour is 
the wages paid the few men who have to work for hire and work as many 
hours as they like. Some of the claims are so rich that every night a few 
pans of dirt suffices to pay the hired help when there is any. As high as 
$204 has been reported to a single pan, but this is not generally credited. 
Claim owners are now very reticent about what they get, so you can hardly 
credit anything you hear; but one thing is certain, we have one of the 
richest mining areas ever found, with a fair prospect that we have not yet 
discovered its limits. 



82 GUIDE TO THE^YUKON 

Miller and Glacier creeks, on the head of Sixt)--Mile river, which my 
survey of the 141st meridian determined to be in Canada, were thought to 
be very rich, but they are poor both in quality and quantity compared with 
Klondyke. Chicken creek, at the head of Forty-Mile, in Alaska, discov- 
ered a year ago, and rated very high, is to-day practically abandoned. 

January 21, 1897. — There are applications in for about 380 acres of land 
on the flat north of the Klondyke, on the east side of the Yukon, while all 
the extent of land available for use on it is about 200 acres. Joseph Leduc, 
who applied for 160, has only about no available for use in building on, the 
rest being steep hill-side, and the most of the flat is a moss-covered swamp. 
He had laid out and disposed of a few lots for building on in it, making his 
streets only 50 feet wide, and the main streets along the river even less, the 
builders going often close to the bank for convenience in getting water; 
but I stopped all that, and have the river front at least 66 feet wide, in 
most places much more. All streets parallel to the river are 66 feet, and 
all at right angles to those I have left at 50, as Laduc had them. It seems 
to me that 50 feet is wide enough in this country, as it is hardly likely 
there will be much heavy traffic on them. Had I made the streets running 
from the river 66 feet wide it would have put a good man}' people to much 
inconvenience. I will send out by the next mail a sketch showing the 
position of all the applications so far. The American government has 
given a contract for four mails this winter to Circle City, at $1,700 each 
mail, in and out. The mail carriers will take out letters at $1 each. 

January 22, 1897. — A quartz lode showing free gold in paying quantities 
has been located on one of the creeks, but I cannot yet send particulars. 
I am confident, from the nature of the gold found in the creeks, that many 
more of them, and rich, too, will be found. 

January 23d. — I have just heard from a reliable source that the quartz 
mentioned above is rich, as it tested over fioo to the ton. The lode ap- 
pears to run from three to eight feet in thickness and is about nineteen 
miles from the Yukon river. I will likely be called on to survey it and will 
be able to report fully. 

Placer prospects continue more and more encouraging and extraordi- 
nary. It is beyond doubt that three pans of different claims on Eldorado 
turned out $204, $212 and $216, but it must be borne in mind that there 
were only three such pans, though there are many running from $10 to 150. 

I have just received a petition from the miners to attend to the survey 
of their claims, they doing all the work and boarding and lodging me. I 
will begin at it in about ten days, and it will likely take me upwards of 
two months. I am glad to have the opportunity of doing it, for I think I 
can considerably, if not altogether, straighten out the tangle there is there. 



George M. Dawson, C. M. G., de.scribes the Canadian Yukon as bounded 
to the south by the northern limit of the province of British Columbia 
(lat. 60°), to the west by the eastern line of the United States territory of 
Alaska; to the east by the Rocky Mountain ranges and the 136th meridian; 



GITIDK TO THP: YUKON 83 

and to the north by the Arctic ocean. The district, as above defined, has 
.a total area of approximately 192,000 square miles, of which, according to 
the most recent information, 150,768 square miles is included in the water- 
shed of the Yukon. "The superficial extent of the district may perhaps 
be best realized when it is realized when it is stated that it is nearly equal 
to that of France, greater than the United Kingdom by 71,000 miles, ten 
times the area of the province of Nova Scotia, and nearly three times that 
of the New England states." 

Whether or not the whole of this vast area is auriferous cannot now 
be said, but there is reasen to hope that in all parts of it paying deposits of 
gold and silver may be found. Sufficient is already known, although only 
a very small part of the district has been prospected, to rank the Yukon as 
among the greatest placer gold fields that have ever been discovered. 

Gold was first discovered in the Yukon basin in 1881, when a party 
went up the Big Salmon river, a tributary of the Lewis, for a distance of 
two hundred miles and found gold on all its bars, many of them paying 
very well. During the next few years some mining was done on the Hoot- 
alinqua, which flows out of Teslin lake and into the Y'ukon. In 1886 gold 
was dug out of the Cassiar bar on the Stewart river in considerable 
quantities. Since then gold has been found on Forty Mile creek. Sixty 
Mile creek, Miller creek. Glacier creek, Birch creek, and last, but by no 
means least, the creeks tributary to the Klondyke. 

Forty Mile creek is for the most part in Alaska, that is in United States 
territory; the head waters of Sixty Mile creek are also in Alaska. Miller, 
Glacier and Birch creeks were once thought to be in Alaska, but are now 
known to be in Canada, and Stewart river and the wonderfully rich Klon- 
dyke are wholly in Canadian territory. The latter flow into the Yukon 
from the eastward, and the whole of the Lewis, Big Salmon and Hootalin- 
qua rivers are in Canada. 

The Klondyke enters the Yukon near the 64th parallel of north lat- 
itude. As yet no paying deposits of gold have been found in the main 
river itself, the rich placers, which have excited attention all over the 
world, being upon its tributaries which enter it from the south. 

THE LATEST ROUTES. 

Still another route is from the head of Taku inlet, a little south of Ju- 
neau, thence overland by the valley of the Taku river to Lake Teslin. The 
distance to Lake Teslin by this route is approximately the same as via the 
Stickeen river. To Klondyke, might be somewhat shorter, according to 
the point at which the trail will strike the lake. 

THE WHITE PASS OPENED UP. 

The White Pass route starts from Skagway bay, which is five miles 
below Dyea, the head of Lynn canal. The bay is a fine natural harbor 
with good anchorage for vessels of any size. The largest ocean vessels can 
steam directly into this bay. From the harbor the trail follows the Skag- 
way river to its head, which is near the summit of the pass, a distance of 



84 GUIDE TO THK YUKON 

i6 miles. The first four miles are in the bed of the river and the ascent is 
gradual. At four miles the canyon is reached, and here the route becomes, 
more difficult. For seven miles the trail works its way along the mountain 
side, rising steadily for almost the entire distance. This is the only hard 
part of the route. The next three miles is a gentle rise, and they carry the 
trail to the summit, an elevation of 2,600 feet above the sea level. The 
country here broadens out into a valley five miles wide, having a gentle 
slope to the east. In the twenty miles between the summit and Windy 
Arm, on Tagish lake, the total descent is onlj' 340 feet. From the summit 
valleys also extend to Lindeman lake and Taku arm on Tagish lake. 

At this date, July 20th, the trail has been cut through to the summit, 
and work is steadily in progress eastward. A trail has been blazed through 
to Taku Arm on Tagish lake, and can be used for pack animals now. In 
fact, several trains are preparing to start over the trail, and a large con- 
signment of horses has been sent up to be put on the regular transportation 
business over this route, which is now open for business. 

The final location of the trail from the summit to the lake has not l)een 
decided upon, as the company making it are seeking for the easiest route, 
but the country being open and comparatively level, after the summit has 
been passed, the lack of a graded trail will not be a serious impediment. A 
liberal allowance of time would be two days for a pack train from Skagway 
bay to Tagish lake, of which not more than six or eight hours would be 
needed to reach the summit from salt water. 

Skagway Bay and the trail as far as the Summit are in territory over 
which the United States Government now exercises jurisdiction, but the 
final ownership of which will depend upon the delimitation of the boundry. 
Beyoqd the Summit the trail is all in Canadian territory. 

For winter travel the trail is the most available. The average snowfall 
on the Summit is not more than four feet, and the company expect to be 
able to keep the route open to the lake all winter and maintain a freight 
train of sleighs on the river, so that at any season of the year they can 
carry goods and passengers from Skagway Bay as far north as Dawson City, 
at the mouth of the Klondyke 

THE CHILKOOT ROUTE. 

The Chilkoot route starts from Dyea or Ty-a, at the extreme northern 
end of Chilkoot branch of Lynn Canal. There is a trading post here. Dyea 
is accessible to large ocean going steamers. Like Skagway Bay it is in ter- 
ritory over which the United States at present exercises jurisdiction. 

For six miles from Dyea the route lies up a river valley, the stream be- 
ing navigable for canoes in the summer. The canyon is then reached, and 
here begins a sharp ascent to Sheep Camp. Ffom Sheep Camp the trail 
extends for eight miles up the rugged sides of the mountain, and is im- 
passable for horses. From the summit to Lake Lindeman, nine miles, 
there is an easy descent, that is easily traversed when the snow is on the 
ground, but is very rough in the summer season. The total distance from 
Dyea to Lake Lindeman is twenty-seven miles. The lake is five miles 



GUIDR TO THE YUKON 85 

wide, and at its foot a short portage is necessary. Lake Bennett is reached 
at about a mile, and is twenty-four miles long. From this point the route 
is bj- water down the Lewis river, being the same as that at present taken 
from Tagish lake by the British Yukon Company's route. 

THE STICKEEN ROUTE. 

The Stickeeu route, when opened, will have the advantage of being 
wholly in British territory, for although the mouth of the river is in United 
States territory, British subjects have the same right to navigate it as 
American citizens. Goods and passengers intended for this route would 
have to be transshipped from ocean going steamers to river steamers at 
Fort Wrangel, or some other point near the mouth of the Stickeen. Of the 
river itself Dr. Dawson says: " It is navigable for stern-wheel steamers of 
light draft and good power to Glenora, 126 miles from Rothsay Point at its 
mouth, and under favorable circumstances to Telegraph creek, twelve miles 
farther. The current is swift, but there are no rapids properly so-called. 
Stern-wheel steamers for the navigation of the Stickeen should have good 
engine powder, and should not draw more than four feet of water when 
loaded. The river usually opens for navigation between April 20th and 
May 1st. The river generally freezes over before the end of November, 
although ice runs somewhat earlier. On the low lands there is good graz- 
ing for horses and cattle from April 20th to about December ist." 

The distance from the Stickeen at Telegraph creek to Teslin lake the 
source of the Hootalinqua river is about one hundred and fifty miles. The 
trail now in use is considerably longer than this, but exploratory surveys 
are in progress, and it is confidently believed that a nearly direct route will 
be found, over comparatively level country. A company has been incopo- 
rated to build a railway over this portion of the route. TraiSc going b}' 
way of Teslin lake would reach the main Yukon by way of Hootalinqua 
river, above referred to. 

OTHER ROUTES. 

The Taku route has not been opened, or even surveyed. A company 
has been incorporated to build a railway by it to Teslin lake. Taku inlet 
is an extensive harbor, somewhat open to southwest winds, but would serve 
very well for the terminus of a route into the interior. 

Other overland routes by which the Yukon can be reached are the 
Chilkat pass, the trail to which leaves tide water near the beginning of the 
Chilkoot and White pass routes. It is a difficult route and is not used; the 
Dalton trail, which starts from the same point and passes overland, a dis- 
tance approximately four hundred miles to the Y'ukon waters; and the 
route via Dease lake, the Frances and Pelly rivers. Both the latter are easy 
lines. Ultimately, if the development of the Yukon warrants, there will 
be no difficulty in finding an easy and all rail route from the head of some 
of the inlets in northern British Coluni1)ia. 



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